The Royal Servant
by flamingflight
Summary: A/U: In the land of Jyuan once lived three princesses. Akane Tendo must figure out where her loyalties lie.
1. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Prologe, The Death Of A King...  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, this series I didn't send to my pre-readers to those of u who find errors with this series, know that it is not my pre-readers fault, it's mine, okay? My proof-readers are so nice! ^_^ that I didn't want to bother them with another series *sigh*, I'm so annoying. So, now that u know ppl, please don't hate and just read it.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me.  
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The old healer left the King's chamber, a somber expression on his face. The healer, Ono Tofu, looked towards the three little girls sitting outside the door waiting anxiously and fearfully. He really didn't want to tell them this. The oldest princess, Kasumi, a beautiful sarene girl at the age of 12, had long beautiful light brown hair that she tied with a neat gold ribbon. The middle child, Nabiki, was a mystery in herself with deep choclate brown hair and cold contempt features at the age of 10. The youngest princess was the one that everyone talked about. With shoulder length deep blue hair like her mother and deep brown eyes that burned with life, she did not have the sweet radiance of Kasumi or the cold beauty of Nabiki, but nobody in the whole land of Jyuan could deny young 9-year old Akane's striking magnificence.   
  
Tofu walked towards the girls slowly and Kasumi stood up, her eyes wide and fearful as she asked, "How is father?"  
Tofu closed his eyes and swallowed, for his young years was not prepared for this, "H-his royal Highness is dying, Princess Kasumi, he ishes to have a word with you and the other princesses before he...before he...passes on."  
  
Kasumi nodded, hot tears in her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall. She had to be strong now, strong for her sisters, strong for her country. Nabiki heard Tofu say this and she stared blankly down at her small white hands. No tears were inh her eyes, she was dry now, she had already cried all her tears the last 7 months that the king was sick. She would not cry now. Only, little Akane did not understand. She knew what death meant, it meant someone was going to leave her,...just like her mother. She denied it though, her father wasn't going to die, he couldn't!  
  
Kasumi gulped before saying stiffly, "Come Akane, come Nabiki." It was a command from the Crown princess, so they had to obey. The three princesses walked into the large bedroom to the huge canopy bed. Soun Tendo laid in the bed, his small frail body appearing lost among the pile of satin sheets and pillows. He gave a smile as Kasumi took his cold clammy hand in her warm one.  
"Don't go, daddy," she pleaded softly so that only Soun could hear.  
Soun's dull eyes bore into hers as he whispered, "I have to. Watch your sisters for me, Kasumi, please. Jyuan needs you now, it's people needs you to be strong Kasumi."  
"I can't," she whispered brokenly.  
"Yes, you can, Kasumi, you are the crown princess, remember that and marry soon. Our kingdom needs a king...a good king," Soun said with a hint of sadness in his tone.  
  
Kasumi shook her head though she knew he told the truth. Ever since her mother, the Queen died, Soun was never the same again. He became a weak king, allowing invaders to take Jyuan lands. Kasumi bit her bttom lip and walked from the bed into Tofu's soothing arms. Nabiki walked silently up to her father.  
Soun scowled and touched the hem of her long dress, "Wearing black already, Nabiki? Couldn't you wait until I died?"  
  
Nabiki held a steel clasp oevr her turbulent emotions, "Better face what is reality instead of denying it. It is healthier. The sooner that we finish mourning over your death, the sooner we can get our lands back from those invaders in the North."  
Soun smiled knowingly, "Cry, Nabiki. I don't want my death to hurt you this much. I don't want you freezing everyone out."  
For a brief moment Soun saw a look of hopeless depression in Nabiki's eyes before she put her mask back on, "Why did you have to get sick? You did this on purpose, didn't you? You wanted to leave me and Kasumi and Akane all alone, didn't you? Didn't you?"  
  
That was when Nabiki broke down and tears streamed unnoticed down her cheeks and she whispered, "You'll always be by me, right daddy?"  
"Always sweety," Soun confirmed.  
Nabiki walked away, but Akane stood fearfully by the door, afraid to go near the bed.  
  
"Akane, come here, I'm almost going, hurry," Soun rasped as Kasumi and Nabiki gave a gasp. Akane ran towards the bed, hurling herself in Soun's arms.  
"Don't go, daddy! Don't leave me, like mommy did! Daddy! Daddy!?" Akane pulled back, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, to see Soun lying lifeless on the bed.  
She ran back into Kasumi's arms crying her tiny heart out.  
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The proclamtion of the death of the king spread throughout the kingdom like wildfire. The invaders attacked the cities and captured the people. The night before they reached Wedgewood Castle, Kasumi went with Dr.Tofu to hide in a different kingdom. The Crown princess was to be protected under any circumstances. Nabiki was sent to a near-by kingdom in the South called Nineth. Akane was supposed to be sent to her fiancee since birth's kingdom, Teria, but she never got there.  
  
Nobody cared if the youngest princess reached her destination or not so only 2 guards were sent to protect her on her journey. Akane never arrived to Teria, her wagon was hijacked by a band of robbers. Kasumi grieved at her failure to protect Akane. Nabiki lost the last trace of emotion she had left. Akane? Well, no one really knew what happened to the youngest princess of Jyuan. Some say the robbers had killed her, others say they had sold her to a band of gypsies. It didn't matter, Her Royal Highness Princess Akane Kimiko Washuki Tendo was dead...and so was the land of Jyuan...  
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	2. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Chapter 1, With A Band Of Gypsies...  
  
Author's Notes: Nothing to say except this is the next chapter and I hope ya enjoy it. ^_^  
E-mail me to tell me if I should keep writing this or not.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
means a different language  
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The sun rose over the horizon as a beautiful blue-haired 20-year old girl ran into the violet caravan. Her hair was in disarray and blew wildly around her wonderfully molded features. The magnificent angel wore a short, ripped, orange, silk skirt and matching silk pants with a small orange top that was cut off enough to show her whole stomach. Akane looked like a carefree amazon, and in a way she was.  
  
Inside the caravan were swords and tiny trinkets hanging all over the place. Several candles burned brightly in the dark room creating a night scene although it was still day outside. A violet-haired 20-year old girl sat on a blanket in a corner of the caravan cleaning a long sharp sword with a purple hankershief. Akane walked over towards the gypsy and waited as she stood up and hanged the sword back up.  
"Where are we being sent to this time, Shan?" Akane asked casually.  
The other girl raised her dark violet-eyes and smiled brightly at her friend, "Why, we're going to the Terian Castle of course. Isn't it wonderful, Ne-ne? A prince."  
  
Akane noticed the sparkle in Shan Pu's eyes and said in an amused tone, "Why do I have the feeling your actually looking forward in this Prince of Teria's home?"  
Shampoo laughed and said in a dreamy voice, "Because I am, Ne-ne. Just imagine, a prince." At this point, Shan Pu gave a sigh to emphasize her point.  
Shan Pu wasn't finished with complimenting her prince, however, "Oh, Ne-ne, they say he's really so, sooo terribly cute and devastatingly handsome. They also say he's so strong and is the best martial arts fighter ever! Isn't that great?"  
Akane giggled, "They also, happen to say that he is an arrogant, egotistical jerk that can't be nice to someone if it killed him. He also happen to be engaged to the Duchess of Nomiya who also happens to be a big pain in the butt as I heard."  
  
Shan Pu just smiled at her friend's bluntness, "So what, I don't care, Ne-ne, I've already decided on him."  
The other girl gasped, "So, you've decided to to bless him with your first time and share his bed?"  
"No, of course not," Shan Pu said reasonably.  
Akane looked confused, "Then what if your so infatuated with him?"  
  
That was when Shan Pu smiled triumphantly, "I am going to marry him!"  
Akane looked appalled, "Marry him? Are you crazy, Shan? He's an outsider!" Both girls understood why she looked so shocked. The gypsies led a free life, without law or restrictions. Although, gypsies were sold into servitude all the time, they always returned to their band of caravan. Gypsy women were allowed to sleep with an outsider, married or not, in fact their husbands even allowed it. However, gypsies never married out of their band of caravans to an outsider, it was simply unethical, untraditional, unbelievable, un-  
  
Akane smiled brightly at her friend, "Tsu-tsu isn't going to be happy, Shan."  
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Ranma walked out of his large chamber and saw Ukyo running towards him, smiling brightly. As she reached him, Ukyo gave a low curtsy and clasped both his hands in her own.  
"Oh, Ranchan, you would not believe how brazen and unladylike the female servants have become. I mean they had not had the luck of being given a proper education, but their behavior has been absolutely absurd!" Ukyo said dramatically. The tall girl really was a sight to behold with her long, brown hair and wonderful figure. She was extremely ladylike and polite too. Ranma figured he wouldn't mind having her for a fiancee. After all she was pretty and sweet, right? Women couldn't be better then that. The Fates laughed at him and said, "He ain't seen nothin' yet."  
  
They chatted and walked hand-in-hand into the dining where Ranma found out that his fiancee had dismissed his servant, because she was being to uppity towards her, so he would be getting a new one. He had found nothing wrong with Leiza, but then again she hadn't been "uppity" to him, whatever that meant. The hall was filled with people, servants, and children, just as Ranma expected it to be. The Terian Castle was always filled with guests that were or important status in society. Ranma had asked his mother why she bothered going to the Dining Hall every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and supper. Nodoka had to told him it was to "maintain face". Personally, Ranma thought his father just came for the grub.  
  
Ukyo pleasantly let go of Ranma's arm as soon as they entered the Dining Hall and went to greet the guest. *She would make a fine hostess...* Ranma thought. *...another good quality for her flawless personality.* Ranma knew he should be happy he had such a perfect fiancee, but he simply couldn't help feeling that there was something more. Something stronger. Something that was able to bine his no-nonsense, all-honor mother to stay with an honorless man like his father for over 20 years. Ranma laughed at himself. He was a prince, he shouldn't waste his time on such trivial matters. On things that couldn't happen. On things that only gypsies talk of...  
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Shan Pu smiled dreamily and hummed to herself as the wagon entered the large elegant castle. Akane flopped down next to her and slapped her arm gently.  
"Hey, what'cha thinkin'?" she asked looking out the wagon window to try and see what Shan Pu was looking at.  
"My future husband, the Prince of Teria," Shan Pu sighed as Akane snorted. ",Did you know his name was Ranma, Akane? Ranma. Ranma. Ranma. Isn't it absolutely beautiful?" Shan Pu said.  
  
Akane couldn't hold her laughter back any longer and broke down laughing as the rest of the girls in the wagon stared at her odd behavior.  
"I think...hahahahaha...that you should...hehahehahah... meet...him...hahahahaha ...first...hahahahaha...before you....hahahaha...pass...hahahahaha...judgement," and with that the girl passed into another round of hysterics.  
Shan Pu scowled, "I don't think you should laugh at my future husband, Ne-ne. After all, you don't want me to tell the other servants at the Castle about Ryo, do you?"  
  
Akane immediatly stopped laughing and stared wide-eyed at the gloating purple-girl. "You wouldn't!" she finally managed.  
"Oh, wouldn't I?" Shan Pu taunted getting back at Akane for teasing her. Akane gave a yell before lunging at Shan Pu and both girls fought. The other girls backed away fearfully from the fighting until they saw both girls sat up lughing.  
  
"How many bruises you got this time?" Shan Pu asked. Akane counted her bruises before replying, "Only 4, you?"  
"Damn, I have 9, your getting better," Shan Pu said in a disgruntled tone.  
"No, your getting worse," Akane laughed.  
  
The other girls eyed each other curiously as the two best friends chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened. One message passed voiceless through their minds, *We're going to have to work with them for the next nine months?!*  
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As the wagon stopped in a small yard inside the castle gates and the 17 girls and 9 boys walked out, an elderly plump lady with glasses and an apron walked up to them. She told them her name was Mrs. Wasuki and that she was basically the boss of the servants in this place. She also told them her husband was the cook. As Mrs. Wasuki passed Akane, she blinked once before reaching to give the girl a big hug.  
  
"Ne, darling, is that really you?" Mrs. Wasuki asked excitedly.  
Akane hugged her tight, then let go gently, "Oh couse it's me, Mamees, who else would it be, but your darling Ne?"  
Mrs. Wasuki dabbed her apron to her eye, "I have to tell Mr. Wasuki this. He'll be so happy! Those gypsies sold you again, sweety? I never should have let you go with them again. Is that girl, Shampoo with you this time, darlin? She always has been a bad influence. I tell you, them gypsies-"  
  
Akane interrupted her gently, "Her name's Shan Pu, Mamees, and I like living with the gypsies. Also, no they didn't sell me, it was my turn for work. It's only for nine months, Mamees."  
Mrs. Wasuki scowled, "Only nine months with my darling Ne, no I won't allow it. You stay here at the Castle with me, dear and I won't have any of'um gypsies around you no more."  
  
Shan Pu joined in, "Lady, better listen, after nine months, Ne-ne go home. Go back with Shampoo to gypsies."  
Mrs. Wasuki gave a humph and led the new batch of servants off to the Servant's Quarters.  
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The Servants' Quarters were small rooms with 12 beds, 6 on each side. Akane and Shan Pu were put into the room with 10 other girls. Mrs. Wasuki had left Akane promising to come back later with Mr. Wasuki. Akane fell onto the bed and fell fast asleep.  
  
#####Flashback Dream#########  
A 12-year old Akane stared tearfully as Cologne hugged her.  
"I don't want to stay here, Hiba-chan! I want to go with you and Shan Pu!" Akane protested weakly as the elderly lady smiled.  
"You can't go with us, Ne-ne. Shan Pu and the other children are going to live with different families while we are away. Don't worry, child, you will love the lady here, she is very kind," Cologne said reasonably before climbing into the wagon. The band of caravans rode off as Akane waved silently at them.  
  
The little girl sensed someone behind her and turned to see a plump lady with glasses look down at her.  
"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? Well, cuteness don't matter here, got it?" she snapped. Akane nodded fearfully and gulped.  
  
"Is Ne-ne to be servant?" the little girl asked with a thick accent that sounded natural.  
"Ah, you were not taught proper language, were you? Well, what am I to expect a child raised by gypsies? I'll teach you and by the time they return you will be able to speak divinly. To answer your question, no you are not my servant and I am not your master either. Why the very idea! Well, I guess you can call me a temporairy mommy, how's that?" Haroumi Wasuki speculated.  
Akane's eyes turned hopeful, "Mamees?"  
For the first time in many years, the old lines smoothened in Haroumi's face and she smiled warmly down at the small child, "Yes, I'm your mamees, Ne, darling."  
#####End of Flashabck########  
  
Akane woke up to find that it was only 2 past noon and that Shan Pu and the other girls were still sound asleep. She walked silently out of the room into the garden. Akane knew she shouldn't wander about the palace, *Ladies do not dally, loiter, or wander aimlessly for no apparent reason or motive...* she remembered what the past ladies in the villages tell her, *...too bad I'm a gypsy and not a lady...*  
  
So, Akane wandered through the, somehow unguarded, gardens sighing at the lovely flowers. She spotted a red-haired girl examine a flower nearby. The girl did not look like nobilty or royalty with her ordinary clothes. Akane tapped the girl on the shoulder and the redhead jumped around surprised. Akane dismissed the red-head's strange outright stare at her. After all the person that everyone stared at was Shan Pu with her extroardinary beauty.  
  
"Hi, my name's Akane, want to be friends? I'm a servant here and you are one to, so we will see each other around," Akane chirped brightly.  
The red-head stared at the other girl's dazzling dark brown eyes that swirled brightly with life before being able to answer her question, "O-okay, m-my n-name's Ranko. I-I-I'm not allowed of the garden, though so you have to come here, is that alright?"  
  
"Oh course! Wow! I have a new friend now," Akane smiled happily as she pulled Ranko to a near-by bench to sit down.  
"So, are you new here?" Ranko asked curiously, "...not that I would know."  
Akane's smile got even brighter, "Yeah! I'm a new servant here with my best friend Shan Pu. I'm a gypsy, you know."  
  
Ranko's eyes widened in amazement, "Gypsy?! Wow! You are so lucky!"  
"Why?" Akane asked curiously.  
Ranko grinned, "Because you get to go anywhere you want! Your free and nobody could hold restrictions on you anywhere. I wish I was a gypsy."  
"You can be, you know. When my hiba-chan comes back in nine months to collect me and Shan, we'll take you along," Akane said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh, but I can't go!" Ranko exclaimed.  
"Why?"  
Ranko sighed, "Akane, let's make a pact, you don't ask personal questions of me and I won't ask personal questions of you."  
Thinking of that and her past Akane smiled and agreed.  
  
"So, what do you work as?" the red-haired girl asked.  
Akane's face contorted, "I have to be a personal maid to the prince of Teria, what's-his-name? Um...Ranma! Yeah that's it!"  
Seeing Akane's obvious dislike, Ranko questioned in mild curiosity, "Why don't you like him?"  
"He's an arrogant, rakish, overconfident, pampered, egotistical, family-give-him- anything, cry-if-he-breaks-a-nail, wussy prince who's family gives him everything he wants," Akane said angrily.  
  
Ranko looked for a moment as if she was furious before she burst out in hysterics of laughter.  
"Have you... hahahahaha...met him...hahahaha...yet?" Ranko asked wiping tears from her eyes.  
Akane thought about this before realizing the ironic situation and broke into fits of laughter hearself. Ranko stopped at the magical sounds of Akane's laughter and stared wonderously at the girl.  
  
"Akane, I have to go now. You will come back tomorrow, right?" Ranko said as she stood up.  
"Of course," Akane smiled.  
"Good, bye," Ranko yelled as she ran towards thegreen shubery and disappeared.  
  
Akane smiled as she walked back to the room she shared. She had made a new friend today, too bad she had to start working for that stupid prince tomorrow.  
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	3. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Chapter 2, The Rose Of The Garden  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is, the next chapter. I am too lazy, I haven't even been working on my site when I said I would. *Sorry* It's just school and all this stuff after Winter Vacation. I should get my mind back on track soon *hopefully*. I have a Mailing List up, just subscribe and you'll get an e-mail everytime I update. Hope it helps. I got this new idea for these new fics, but I'll have to get a clearer image on these ideas. Thanx to all my readers, ya great! Oh and send me an e-mail at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. Oh yeah, sign my guestbook too. If you finish this chapter and you still haven't guessed who Ranko truly is, shame on you.  
means another language  
Disclaimers: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi does.  
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Akane stood in shock, looking at the huge bedroom that belonged to the prince. A large bay window with wispy, blue curtains and clear glass window was in the center wall while an oversized fireplace was to the left side of the room. Two cushioned, velvet chairs faced the fireplace and a long velvet couch lined the wall. To the right corner of the room lay a velvet, much too large, cushioned-with-too-many-pillows, silk, bed. Two large doors were to the right of the bed and Akane assumed that must be where the closet was.  
Turning back to Mrs. Wasuki she said skeptically, "You have got to be kiddin' me."  
  
Mrs. Wasuki shook her head, "Nope, sorry, hon'. This is the prince's quarters."  
"What is he? A giant of some sorts?" Akane asked hopefully, but Mrs. Wasuki just shook her head.  
"And I'm supposed to keep this place clean and attend to him?" Akane clarified.  
Haroumi Wasuki smiled and nodded.  
"You're mean, mamees," Akane pouted, but Haroumi just patted her shoulder.  
"I gave you the easiest job, dear, now, just start cleaning up and wait for the prince to come." and with that, the plump, old lady exited and closed the door. Akane sighed as she started cleaning up the room. *...and Shan said she wanted this job...*  
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Akane had just finished cleaning out the fireplace and just starting on the bay window when the large doors opened. She turned and watched in surprise as two guys entered. They looked to be around her age though the second one looked slightly older. The first one was wearing blue silk pants and shirt with gold thread expertly sewn to form a fierce dragon on the side of the shirt. His blue-black hair was braided into one pig-tail on his back and Akane knew right away that this was the great Prince Ranma Saotome of Teria. She felt disgust rise in her throat. The second man had short, dark violet hair and was wearing a traditional black outfit of shirt and pants with the Terian symbol on the front. *He must be the prince's cousin...*  
  
"-and make sure that the Queen Kasumi and King Tofu gets their regular royal guest suite down the hall when they arrive..." both men stopped their conversation to stare blankly at the girl by the bay window. A soapy sponge was held in her hand and the water dripped down onto the dark carpet, unnoticed. She wore the maids' uniform of a yellow dress with the Terian symbol on the front leaving no doubt in any of their minds' that she was a servant. Her small face was covered with soot, dust, and dirt and her dark brown eyes narrowed at them.   
  
Akane dropped the sponge in the soapy water with a small *splush* before stepping from the bay window to Ranma and Aslen. She put her soapy hands to the yellow hems of her skirt and did an awkard, quick, ungraceful curtsy.   
"Good afternoon, your highness, your grace," she greeted in a flat tone. Not disrespectful...but not respect either.  
Ranma snapped out of his outright stare first and gave a charming smile at the girl before saying, "You must be my new maid. What is your name?"  
  
Akane's eyebrows crinkled delicately *Why should he care what the maid's name is?...*, but she answered anyways, "Akane, your highness."  
Ranma gave her a half-smile before saying, "None of that *your highness* stuff, you make me sound like my father. Call me Ranma, everyone does."  
Akane's eyes held confusion, but she said, "Alright...Ranma."  
Deciding this conversation was getting too confusing for her, Akane went back to work on the bay window.  
  
Ranma talked to Aslen a little while longer before dismissing him. Leaning against the wall beside the bay window, he asked, "So, how old are you."  
Having enough Akane put the sponge down before turning to face the prince.   
"Look," she said, "Let's get one thing straight here. I am not your babysitter, I am not your bodyguard, and most importantly I am not your friend. I am your maid. Got it?"  
Surprised by her tone, Ranma just gave her a confident grin, "Got it, but don't you think you should give me a chance? After all, the other servants didn't find me so bad to be friends with."  
  
"And you've been friends with other servants before, have you?" Akane asked, one hand on her hip.  
There was that cocky smile again, "Of course. I'm so charming, after all."  
"I'm sure you are, but I have work to do. That's what your friends, the servants, do after all, so you'll have to excuse me, *Ranma*," she said adding emphasis on his name. Ignoring his chuckle Akane started on her work again. Too many times in the past had she seen young lords and royals sit flat on their butts and do nothing all day, but eat and wait for everyone else to do everything for them. She had seen a stupid lord's son, not listening to his bodyguard, and went into the forest alone. He got in trouble with warrior because he stomped on his honor and had the warrior give him a beating for it. The one that got blamed was the bodyguard. Akane rolled her eyes, *...the jerk probably can't even defend himself...*  
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After Akane finished cleaning the bedroom and left it, she ran right into Shan Pu. Shan Pu saw her friend and pulled her up, asking excitedly, "So, how was he? What did he look like? Was he cute and handsome like they said he was? Was he a good martial artist? Was he-?"  
"Well, a hello to you to Shan. Why I'm doing fine. Thanks for caring. It's so nice bumping into your best friend and have her asking how you were doing," Akane said sarcastically as she dusted herself off.  
Not taking offensed on Akane's sarcasm, Shan Pu said, "Sorry, Ne-ne I should have been more considerate...now can you tell me what he looked like?"  
  
Smiling Akane said, "Oh, he looked pretty normal...like an overpampered, spoiled, arrogant prince just like all the others we met. I don't get it Shan, why don't you be sensible and marry from the gyrpsies. Mu Tsu loves you so much."  
Frowning, the other girl said, "He's too weak, Ne-ne! I need to get someone good enough."  
"Listen, I would love to stay and chat on your choice of husbands, but I need to go. I'll see at dinnertime, bye," and before Shan Pu could answer, Akane was already gone.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hurrying through the gardens Akane went towards the bench and saw Ranko already sitting there.  
"Hey," Akane smiled as she sat down beside her.  
Ranko looked up and smiled, "Hey."  
"Sorry, it took so long, I just got held up by my friend," Akane explained.  
Ranko laughed, "The one that wants to marry the prince?" Akane nodded and Ranko laughed again.  
"She does know the prince is engaged, right?" Ranko confirmed.  
Akane nodded, "Mm hm, she just doesn't care."  
  
"So, how was your first day working for the prince? Did you like him?" Ranko asked hesistantly, trying to sound non-chalant, though strangely, the answer was more important to her then she would care to admit.  
Akane was about to say something, but then she stopped herself.  
"Well, he was just as arrogant, egotistical, and overconfident as I thought he would be. His bedroom is so huge too!" Akane said, trying to change the subject.  
  
"So, you didn't like him?" Ranko frowned.  
"He was o.k I guess. For a prince, of course. There are guys out there who are way better anyway," Akane tried to convince herself and the other girl as she tried to ignore how dangerously handsome she had found the prince.   
"Who?" Ranko asked. Akane wondered at why the girl seemed insulted.  
"Oh there's a number," Akane began counting off her fingers, "There's Mu Tsu, Ryo, Tenchi, Fie, Endy-"  
"Okay, okay, I get the point," Ranko scowled.  
  
Akane smiled, "So, who's servant are you?"  
"I am Teria's servant," Ranko replied softly.  
"Aw, you're no fun. Little Miss. Mysterious," Akane teased, but Ranko just gave her a weak smile.  
Feeling uncomftorble, Akane changed the subject, "What's your favorite flower?"  
"I don't know, I don't really like flowers," Ranko admitted truthfully.  
Scrunching her eyebrows again Akane asked, "Then why are you always in the gardens?"  
Turning to Akane, the other girl shrugged her shoulders, "It's the only place I get peace. If I could get peace in a dump, I dare say I would stay there too."  
  
Looking over Ranko's face, Akane saw past the indifference to see a deep, lonely abiding hurt. The gypsy, suddenly, felt a warm connection with this girl for she felt the same hurt too before. Years before when she had to stay at an old widow's house for 5 months when the Gypsy adults had to go off on one of their trips and leave the kids behind. Those were the worst 5 months of her life, where the widow laid so many restrictions for her. The widow tried to make her a lady. Everytime Akane had tried to do something that would make her happy, the widow would make her stop. Sort of like trying to fly, but having someone cut off your wings everythime. The young gypsy looked at her friend and wondered if someone had clipped off her wings.  
  
"Do you have any family?" Akane asked.  
Ranko nodded, "Uh huh."  
Taking a guess, Akane asked hesisitantly, "Are they the ones keeping you here?"  
Smiling regretfully, the redhead shook her head, "No...yes...maybe, but more of it is really responsibility. Responsibility, honor, and duty."  
Not expecting a gypsy to understand such a concept, Ranko just turned away.  
  
After awhile, Akane said, "I bet you those royals don't have responsibilies."  
Scowling, Ranko snapped, "What do you have against royalty anyways? Was it there choice that they were born into privilege? Have you ever even thought that maybe, just maybe, some of them would rather be common and be free?"  
  
Taken aback by the surprise onslaught Akane was too shocked to reply. Yet, how was she supposed to make the other girl understand her dislike for the wealthy and powerful? How to explain to her about the lords and ladies looking down on their noses at her people? How to make her understand that one of these people of the higher class had abandoned their own daughter? How to explain her own hurt and pain...at having her parents think she wasn't good enough and left her to rot, if it hadn't been for the gypsies? Akane couldn't remember her parents or her younger years. She just remembered hiba-chan telling her of how they found her in ripped, wealthy, clothes unconscious by a rock with a bleeding head. They said her small fist had held on tight to a gold medallion with her name imprinted on it, proving hse really was from a wealthy family. Cologne had told her that the only reason she took this girl in was from the strong vibe she felt from her.  
  
The two of them sat in silence until Ranko whispered, "Akane, d-do...do you believe in curses?"  
Akane nodded, "Yeah, being a gypsy, I have to."  
After a paus, Ranko asked wistfully, "Do you...do you believe anyone, nomatter who, is bad enough to deserve a curse for the rest of their lives?"  
Now, Akane was not stupid or ignorant so she asked carefully, knowing she was walking on dangerous ground, "Are you cursed, Ranko?"  
The other girl nodded.  
"What is it?" Akane asked.  
"Promise you won't be angry?" Ranko asked hesitantly wondering why she should tell Akane at all. The short-tempered girl would probably get angry anyways, but Ranko knew she would be even angry if she found out later.  
  
  
Akane nodded wondering what she could possibly be angry about. After all, she'll probably feel pity for the girl because if any human did anything bad enough to get cursed, it probably won't be pretty. Not something as simply as turning into a frog or like that. It will be something from one of their deepest fears brought to life so that they would regret it the rest of their lives. Once a strong, powerful, undefeated knight who was a little overconfident had made fun of a sprite's weak son and she got even. She didn't take his strength away or killed him. No, what the sprite did was made the warrior lose to a boy, barely over 5 years, in an arm-wrestling competition. Once, only once, but once was enough. The warrior lived the rest of his life with the failure of losing to a boy eating at his mind until he couldn't take it anymore and killed himself. Curses weren't taken very lightly in this realm and once one was given, the person would really, truly regret it.  
  
Akane snapped out of her thoughts at Ranko's small, defeated voice, "You would not believe this, but..." taking a deep breath, Ranko blurted out, "I'm a boy."  
Akane just stared blankly at her, the realization not hitting her yet so in a puzzled voice Akane asked, "You mean you're cursed to turn into a boy?"  
Seeing this was harder then she thought it would be, Ranko shook her head and explained, "No, this is my cursed form. I'm originally a boy, I was cursed to become a girl."  
"Oh," Akane said, but then, suddenly, the full understanding hit her and Akane's jaw dropped as her innocent eyes widened, "Oh!"  
  
"Yeah, I'll understand if you won't want to be my friend anymore," Ranko said, a regret in her voice. *Honesty sure sucks...* she...or rather, he thought.  
Akane smiled understandingly, "Now, why would you say that. I have a lot of guy friends with curses...though none of them turns into a girl. Don't worry. I'll still be your friend. The only people I don't be friends with are royalty."  
"Great," Ranko said nervously. *This is great...just great...* Ranko thought sarcastically, Akane's words still in her mind.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane scurried into the already crowded kitchen and ran up to Haroumi.   
Spinning around, Haroumi scolded her kindly, "Where have you been to, girl? I was about to send someone else to feed the prince. He has a big appetitie, you know and is very impatient when it comes to food," seeing Akane about to say something Mrs. Wasuki warned, "Don't you dare say 'just like them royals' or anything like that, you hear? The prince and queen are nice people. I don't know about that King Genma though, he seems a little bit wrong in the head, if you get my meaning."  
Akane didn't, but she just nodded and kept quiet as she took the heavy tray.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Entering the great Dining Hall, Akane was awed by it's size and how crowded it was. *Was it like this at every meal?* She sincerely hoped not. Akane lined up against the wall just like the other servants holding the hot, silver tray. Spotting Shan Pu across the room by a wall, Akane flashed her a smile. A lady in a red, velvet, long dress with a confident poisewalked up to the chair beside the head of the long table and Akane knew without a doubt that she was the queen.  
Nodoka rang the bell and said in a loud voice that carried throughout the large room, "Dinner, everyone take a seat.  
  
Ranma sat to the right of his father and the lft of his fiancee. Half-listening to Ukyo chatter on about how ridiculous some lady was dressing, he kept his eyes and attention riveted on a dark-haired girl by the wall.  
"...so how's your new maid?" Ukyo asked, oblivious to Ranma's sudden snap of attention at her question.  
Trying to hide his sudden wash of guilt, which he felt surprised at feeling, Ranma tried to sound nonchalant, "She's okay, I guess."  
  
Akane walked with the other servants towards Ranma's seat and put the tray of food in front of him. Then, imitating the other servants, Akane waited behind his chair for any further orders.  
Ukyo looked up at Ranma's new maid and assessed a critical eye over her as if she was trying to find the worth of an object. Akane was getting uncomftorble under the gaze and was just about to glare at the lady, but Ukyo suddenly flashed her a brilliant, sincere smile.  
Akane hesitantly smiled back at her and had Ukyo snap, "Don't smile, maid, you're supposed to be stone-faced and not look me in the eye.  
  
Turning back to Ranma, Ukyo smiled conspiriously and whispered, "I like her."  
Inwardly, Akane smiled and knew that she was going to like this lady even if she was to be future royalty. There was just something about Ukyo that made Akane know she was a kind spirit.  
  
The dinner continued on with quiet and sub-dued conversation filled with fake smiles and fake laughs. Akane found that she couldn't wait to get out of this place to the servant's dinner that was filled with loyd voices, arguments, and laughter with flying food and drinks and sometimes fistfights. Everything was out in the open and therefore nobody held any true hatred for anyone else unlike this place. Akane could almost feel the hatred and fakeness of the room closing around and choking her. She felt pity for these people.  
  
The large Dining Hall doors opened and a tall, graceful, kind-faced, beautiful, brunette lady glided in on the arms on a tall, mature, man. Everyone looked up to stare at the intruder and the lady blushed, obviously not knowing a dinner was going on. Akane looked at the lady and felt a strange pang of pain hit straight to her heart. *Who is she? What's she doing here?* Akane wondered. The answer to her questions came when the Queen stood up and gave a big, genuine smile as she walked over and hugged the girl as she said, "Oh, you came Kasumi! I thought you wouldn't for a moment. I'm so happy that you did."  
  
Kasumi smiled apologetically at her Nodoka before saying, "I seem to be intruding on your dinner, Auntie. I'm terribly sorry."  
Turning her eyes toward the guests, Kasumi smiled at all of them. When her eyes reached Akane, all blood drained from her face as she gripped her husband's arms painfully. Suddenly, the Queen Kasumi's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fainted.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: If you still don't know who Ranko really is...well...*Max-chan shakes her head in pity* 


	4. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Chapter 3, The Queen And Her Sister...  
  
Author's Notes: I was planning on working on The Scarlet Trail after the Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon sidestory, but changed my mind. I haven't been on lately, school sux now, what with mid-terms coming up and all. Anyways, no more excuses. Sign my guestbook and e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.   
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Kasumi heard the voices before she opened her eyes. Voices drifting through the hazy mist that was currently her mind. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up, but a shooting pain streaked through her head. Dizziness and nausea threatened to overwelm the beautiful Queen. Yet, Kasumi still remembered the reason why she fainted...and that was all the motivation she needed.  
"...Akane...get Akane..." Kasumi said in a hoarse whisper, her throat suddenly very dry.  
"Sh, sh, Kasumi, lay down," Kasumi heard her husband say beside her in what would usually be a soothing tone, but now was only an annoying disturbance.  
  
Kasumi fully opened her eyes and sat up in the bed, the pain still pounding in her head, "I saw her, Tofu, go get her for me, before I lose her again. She looked so much like mommy, so much..."  
Her voice drifted off as she noticed the faces around her and the expression they held. Inside the large velvet bedroom was her husband, Tofu, her Auntie Nodoka and Uncle Genma. To a corner of the room stood Ranma, the boy she knew since a child that she loved as if he was truly her blood brother. Beside him stood his fiancee, Ukyo and Kasumi felt something was wrong. That was her gift. When...when she was 6, she had heard her father say that each sister had a gift besides beauty. They were the three things of life, Kasumi was spiritual, Nabiki was mental, and Akane was supposed to be physical...but something else. Each sister had a special gift besides spirit, mental, and physical.  
  
"What is it? What's wrong?" Kasumi asked everyone desperatly.  
Tofu gave his wife his patient look, one he rarely had to use on Kasumi and said, "She's not Akane, Kasumi-chan. That was just a servant you saw with a certain similarity to her."  
Kasumi's eyes narrowed, her hope fading with each second, "How do you know she's not Akane, Tofu? What if...what if she lost her memory and didn't know who she was so she became a servant?"  
The King sighed at his wife, "She's two years older then our Akane."  
  
Kasumi looked around their faces and saw the pity and sympathy in their eyes. Yet, hope still clung at her heart, but she must not let them know this. Making her face show reluctant acceptance, she asked, "Can I see her?"  
Nodoka smiled and patted Kasumi's arm, "Of course sweety. We knew you would want to so we had her wait outside for you. Call her in."  
  
The guard opened the large doors and in walked Akane. The girl had thick, wavy, dark blue-black hair and the clothes she wore were the servants dress, but there was something about her. The others didn't notice, but Kasumi did...the way the servant-girl held her head high and proud...the intelligent, blazing deep brown eyes...the innocent, little sister...  
  
Akane gave one of her awkward curtsys and turned to look at Kasumi. She knew that this well-pampere, bautiful lady was a queen and was royalty so therefore she should hate her...but she couldn't. Akane felt the love and compassion glowing from the great Queen and she for the first time in her life felt like a child eager to get the adult's attention. She felt heat build up in her and her nervousness increased. She was in a room full or strangers, not very strange, but this time...this time...Akane actually believed there might be a friend amongst the crowd.  
Kasumi finally spoke softly, her voice like fluttering silk, "What is your name?"  
  
Akane kept her eyes on the floor as she said, "Akane, your highness."  
"Look at the Queen when she speaks to you," the guard ordered Akane. Akane scowled as she looked up, but as soon as her eyes met Kasumi's smiling face, she felt a warm smile grow.  
"Akane, that's a magnificent name," Kasumi said kindly.  
"Thank you, your highness," Akane replied.  
"Don't call me that, I want you to call me Kasumi," the high Queen said sweetly. Akane, for the first time, suspected or noted any motive behind the Queen's kind words.  
"Yes, Kasumi."  
  
"Auntie," Kasumi directed her attention towards Nodoka, "I wish for Akane to be my servant while I'm here."  
Nodoka was about to say something just when the prince broke out saying, "No! She's my servant." Everybody turned their questioning gaze towards Ranma after his outburst.  
Shifting uncomftorably Ranma said, "Um...I mean...Kasumi wouldn't want such an ugly, flat-chested, masculine, tomboy for a servant. She'll probably ruin Kasumi's hair and rip her dress or somethin'. Kasumi's maid is already nice, she's way better then that tomboy right there. That's why I'm doing the brave thing and enduring this tomboy. Right, tomboy?"  
  
Turning to the "tomboy" his conversation was currently on, Ranma saw a tiny hammer fly past his face...missing it by a mere centimeters.  
"Hey!" he yelled at the trying-to-look innocent girl, "You're not supposed to injure the prince!"  
Akane turned large kitten-like eyes at him, yet only Ranma noticed the underline of held anger beneath, "Ooops, it flew out of my hand. I'm sooo sorry, maybe next time you won't get hurt if you're mouth stayed shut. I mean no disrespect by this, of course, me being a tomboy and all."  
  
Ranma just resorted to glaring at her when Kasumi burst out in bell-like laughter.  
"Alright Ranma, I can see how brave you are, you may keep you're servant, but she must come and visit me now and then," Kasumi laughed.  
"Yes, Kasumi," both Ranma and Akane replied before they glared pointedly at each other again.  
  
After awhile of glaring at each other Akane said in an amused tone, "I spent years as a child perfecting the art of no-blinking. I can go way longer, give up rich-boy."  
Ranma had a hald-grin on his face as he said, "No way, tomboy, I gotta show you what getting your butt kicked by a 'rich-boy' feels like."  
"What, might I ask, are you two doing?" Ukyo asked confused.  
Ranma and Akane just broke into huge grins,  
"Ask the tomboy."  
"Ask the rich-boy."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The days after seemed like a daze to Akane. Visiting her friend, the accursed Ranko, working and talking with the Queen Kasumi, laughing and fighting with the Prince Ranma didn't even seem so terrible. Life in the palace didn't seem so unbearable and tortorous anymore. The only thing that seemed to always mar her good mood was seeing Shan Pu's escapades at trying to win the Prince and seeing the Prince with his betrothed, Ukyo. The feelings always confused her and she dealt with as she did with anything she couldn't understand...she fought it. The idea of jealousy was so proposterous that she didn't even allow it to seep to her mind.  
  
One day, weeks after Akane's and Shan Pu's stay at the castle, Akane was brushing Kasumi's glorious hair, smiling to herself when the young Queen voiced the question that has plagued her for some time.  
"Akane," Kasumi said softly as Akane, "have you ever been to a place called Jyuan?"  
Akane scrunched her eyebrows together in that way that Ranma found so endearing, "Jyuan? No, I've never been, is it a country or..."  
"It was a country," Kasumi said sadly, her eyes wistful. Akane stopped brushing and looked at her Queen in the mirror subtely catching the *was*.  
  
"It was a very, very beautiful country Akane. The lands rolled on and the people loved it. I loved it. They destroyed it, though, those invaders! They went in and destroyed everything as soon as the King died..." at this Kasumi stopped, unable to continue, her tears and spit choking her.  
"That was your kingdom wasn't it, Kasumi? You were going to be it's Queen," Akane stated quietly.  
Kasumi smiled and shook her head as her eyes twinkled with mirth, "Oh no! I was the Crown Princess and I was going to inherit the kingdom, but Jyuan was never mind. Oh no, the land and people of Jyuan was never mind."  
  
Akane turned her puzzled eyes to Kasumi, but the other older girl didn't elaborate so the servant continued brushing the Queen's hair.  
Suddenly Kasumi spoke, "Aren't you going to ask who Jyuan belonged to Akane?"  
Akane smiled, "I sensed you probably didn't want to talk about it."  
"Ah, you're very observant, Akane," Kasumi noted.  
"You have to be if you were raised by the gypsies," Akane answered.  
  
"Who named you Akane?" Kasumi asked trying to hide her interest in the matter.  
"Hiba-chan did," Akane lied. Strangely, she didn't want Kasumi to know of her being an orphan that was abandoned. She felt ashamed for some reason that she couldn't comprehend as if it was her fault...her fault for being born...her fault for being abandoned...her fault for being not good enough. Akane knew that one reason that she had loved the gypsies so much was because they were the only people that loved and needed her. They were her family, her friends, her home. Nobody else needed or wanted a lost, amnesia-filled little girl in rags...but the gypsies...the gypsies...they weren't too high-classed...or too good to aid anybody...rich or poor, young or old, wanted or not...and Akane would give up her life for them.  
  
"Hiba-chan?" Kasumi asked sounding indifferent.  
Akane smiled, glad to be able to share her family with the one person (who wasn't a gypsy) that she felt kin to as a sister.  
"Yeah, hiba-chan's my and Shan Pu's great-grandmother. She's the leader of the gypsies. Her name's Cologne...or at least it sounds that way in this language. Did you know Shampoo's name is really Shan Pu and mine is Ne-ne or just Ne. You acting weird today, Kasumi, is anything wrong?"   
  
Kasumi sighed and managed a tremulous smile, "Nothing Akane. Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little nervous, what with the baby coming and all-"  
Akane spun the Queen around, forgetting her position in life for a minute as she said joyously, "You're pregnant, Kasumi?! Wow! Congratulations, have you told anyone yet?"  
"Only you so far," Kasumi replied.  
  
Akane smiled and began fixing Kasumi's hair up in a high, fancy, sophisticated ponytail.  
"How long are you going to stay here Akane?"  
"Only for a couple of months at best until my work is over then I get to go back home to the gypsies," Akane replied.  
*Then we won't have much time to make you remember...* Kasumi thought to herself.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
As Akane walked through the fields wooded forests in the Terian kingdom, she twirled a tiny violet flower and thought of her peculier conversation with Kasumi. She had felt a connection with the Queen ever since she first saw her and knew that there was more that Kasumi was keeping behind that sweet, oblivious face. The question was: What was she hiding? Suddenly Akane heard a sound and her martial arts instincts told her to duck behind a bush. Peeking up Akane saw a sight that made her jaw drop.  
  
There was his Royal Highness, Crown Prince of Teria, Prince Ranma Saotome...in a pair of ordinary, dirty, black, silk, chinese pants and a large blue, silk, chinese shirt... commoner's clothes...and doing martial arts! To top it all off...he was good at it...very good! Ranma was performing an extremely complex kata and Akane couldn't pinpoint the martial arts he was using. Whatever it was...he was way better then anyone she knew... *maybe he could even beat hiba-chan...* Akane thought then inwardly laughed at her foolishness *nah!*  
In that moment, Akane noticed the muscles move over Ranma as his eyes were filled with determination. She felt an unwelcome, though common feeling everytime she looked at the Prince engulf her. The warm sensation was so shocking it left Akane staggering.  
  
Ranma landed gracefully on his feet after the kata was finished, his back to Akane as he yelled out, "Come out, tomboy, I know you're there."  
Akane's eyes already huge eyes grew even larger at his sensing her presense. *How did he...what the...how could he...* but she dutifully stood up and flashed him a cheeky smile.  
  
Ranma gazed at her innocently, a mischievous smile on his face, "Guess I'm not the stereotypical, weak, pathetic, pampered, given-everything, don't-do-anything prince after all."  
Akane smiled at him as she retorted, "You're still arrogant, overconfident, and insensitive, though. Now, tell me what's the style of arts that you study?"  
Ranma shrugged, "Anything and everything, I guess. I learn wherever and from whoever that I can."  
Akane's smile turned into a huge grin, "You mean Anything Goes?"  
"Yeah."  
  
Before Akane could tell Ranma that that was her style of martial arts also a familiar voice broke out behind her, "Hey, Ne-ne, guess I didn't get lost again, huh?"  
Ranma's smiled broke into a scowling frown as he watched Akane turn around and ran to hug the guy behind her. Her eyes were filled with happiness and joy as she kissed the guy all over the face.  
Akane grinned at her best friend and betrothed as she yelled out, "Ryo, you came!"  
Ranma Saotome and Ryoga Hibiki locked eyes at that exact moment and an unspoken word passed through them as an understanding took, *...mine...*  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: I shouldn't have wrote this. I shouldn't have wrote this. Not with mid-terms coming and studying to be done. I shouldn't have wrote this. I'm not even going to bother asking people to e-mail me since nobody does, but can you at least sign my guestbook. I would be the most grateful. 


	5. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Chapter 4, Gypsy Lady  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is, the ever-anticipated fourth chapter to The Royal Servant. Hope ya enjoy this chapter. The usual stuff, e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com, sign my guestbook, (for the ppl at fanfiction.net, check out my website), and link to me. That's it. Oh yeah, and this Ryoga might seem more a mature then the one in the original Ranma story line because he's lived by himself and is basically adrifting wanderer that has seen the world.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma stared through narrowed eyes across the circle, ivory lawn palace table at the bandanna-wearing, short-haired guy. Ryoga just stared back at the prince in the same, cold manner. Akane had seated them on the palace garden chairs by the sun-tablebefore running off happily to find Shan Pu and tell her the great news. Raising an eyebrow, Ryoga smiled and asked the prince, "How is your food, your highness?"  
Angry because he let the other boy initiate the conversation, Ranma said through clenched teeth, "Just fine. A little tough to chew on though."  
"Your highness-?" Ryoga began, trying to keep his amusement in check.   
"Call me Ranma," the Terian prince said evenly.  
Grinning broadly, Ryoga said, "Yes, well, Ranma, I think I know why your food is so tough to chew on."  
"And why's that?"  
"Because you're chewing on a towel?"  
  
Spitting the towel out of his mouth Ranma glared at Ryoga and pointed out, "That wasn't funny!"  
"To you, maybe," Ryoga laughed. Now, we shall not stop our time to ponder on why there was a towel around or who's towel it was. We shall not even ponder on what could possibly be wrong with Prince Ranma's taste buds so that he could not tell the difference between a towel and actual food. If you continue to ponder these thoughts for more then five minutes, your brain just might explode.  
Turning to Ryoga's grinning face Ranma decided to not to dance around the issue, but to get straight to the point. As was his nature.  
"What are you to Akane?" he asked.  
His face hardening, Ryoga said, "I'm her fiancee."  
Feeling a dark, foreboding fear grips stomach and heart painfully, Ranma instinctively did the only thing to avoid and try to ignore this feeling. He went on the defensive.  
"Hey, why would you want such an uncute, flat-chested, tomboy like that for a fiancee? I mean, she looks more like a boy then girl, she walks like an ox, she's as violent as a gorilla, she-" but his sentence was stopped by a flying chi hammer introducing itself to his open face.  
  
Ranma was instantly smashed against the palace walls with a stifled groan as a flying bundle of purple girl hurled herself at him. If his ribs weren't broken from the smash into the wall, it got broken from the energetic glomp. Ranma slid down to the ground with a louder groan then before.   
Looking down at a dazed Ranma, Shan Pu asked innocently, "Ranma notdead yet? Still alive?"  
"I think he can't breathe right now Shan with you leaning over him like that," Akane pointed out in an amused, though strained tone.  
  
Immediately jumping off of Ranma, Shan Pu smiled brightly and turned to Akane laughing, "Of course Ne-ne right. Shan Pu no want dead husband."  
"I'm so glad you care Shampoo," Ranma said sarcastically as he stood up, rubbing a lump on his head, "and what in the world did you do that for, you stupid tomboy?"  
Akane started to glow a light blue as she growled out a warning, "Ranma, so   
help me if you don't-"  
"Aren't you going to do something to me for insulting your *fiancee*?" Ranma interrupted, asking Ryoga.  
Ryoga just grinned and said, "I'm not going to stop one of my rivals from ruining his chances." Before Ranma could react Shan Pu gave a cry of joy and leapt at Ryoga hugging him tight and kissing him all over the face saying, "Oh Ryo! You came!"  
  
Surprised at Shan Pu's sudden show of affection for Ryoga, Ranma turned to Akane and raised one eyebrow asking in a confused voice, "Don't you mind?"  
Scrunching her eyebrows in that cute way of hers, Akane asked, "Mind what?"  
"Shampoo hugging and kissing your fiancee," Ranma pointed out.   
Giving a sigh that can be interpreted as *he doesn't understand so now I'll have to explain* Akane replied, "Shan is my gypsy sister and one of my closest truest friend. She is really kind at heart and has no vindictive bone in her body, contrary to popular belief. Don't you even start to raise that other eyebrow at me, Ranma, or I'm going to shave it off."  
  
Looking far off, Akane explained, "Shan is one of the kindest, honest people I know. She's been branded so many things by so many people. You would not believe the cruel things men and women say because of how she looks and her open, friendly nature. Some hate her because of what hiba-chan tells Shan to do. She is not some dumb bimbo, and yes I do know the servants say this about her, she knows too. Shan has more intelligence in that head of hers then most people. That is why people hate her. Raised as gypsies, we are all taught to have an open, friendly, kind nature to those we know and love."  
  
Turning to Ranma, Akane said, her voice barely above awhisper, "When hiba-chan first took me in, the children of the villages we went to called me terrible names and Shan protected me from them. There are only few people in my life that I can name that are my true friends and Shan is one of them, so no, I'm not jealous. Get it now?"  
Ranma nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say. Akane smiled at him before pulling his arm over to sit by the ivory lawn table with Shan Pu and Ryoga. Ranma felt a warmth shoot straight to his heart from the place Akane's hand had touched him.  
After they sat down, Ranma asked, "Why didn't you tell me about your fiancee?"  
  
Akane looked nervous as Shan burst out laughing, "Don't Ranma mean fiancees? Plural, Ranma, plural."  
At Ranma's confused glance Shan Pu laughed harder.  
"What does she mean?" he asked Akane who had suddenly found the floor extremely interesting.  
"She means that Akane has more then one fiancee. In fact we don't exactly know how many she has, but her main fiancee is me," Ryoga said evenly, but Shan Pu burst out again, "That what Tenchi and Sarem and all them say, right Ne-ne?"  
  
"This isn't funny Shan!" Akane said, exasperated.  
"Yes, it is, Ne-ne, you-" but she was interrupted by a rustling in thenear-by bushes. Suddenly, a white duck with glasses flew out of the bushes and landed squarely on the middle of the table. Shan Pu gave a shriek before going to run behind Ryoga and Akane.  
"What's wrong?" Ranma asked confused (anyone sense a pattern?)  
Looking behind at her friend, Akane said, "Well...um...heh...heh...Shan Pu has a strange aversion to ducks. Duckaphobia, you might say-"  
"I don't think there's such a thing as duckaphobia, Ne-ne," Ryoga pointed out, but he was immediately shushed by two female voices screaming, "SHUT UP RYO!"  
  
The duck turned large, pleading eyes to Akane through it's glasses and the girl melted. Akane turned her head to look at her furious, crouching friend and asked, "Couldn't you just-?"  
"No, Ne-ne!" Shan Pu hissed out at her friend before turning to glare heatedly at the duck again.  
Ranma watched confused as Akane turned to the duck and said, "I'm sorry, Tsu-tsu, I promised Shan I wouldn't allow the challenge to be issued."  
Ryoga looked at Shan Pu a moment before bursting out laughing, "Oh this is rich. How did Shan get you to withhold the challenge, Ne-ne? Whoa, I have been gone long, huh?"  
"You're not helping Ryo," Akane said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Does someone mind telling me what's going on here?!" Ranma shouted at the top of his lungs, too confused and frustrated at being ignored. Ryoga, Akane, Shan Pu, and the duck looked at him blankly and blinked as if just noticing that he was there. Then, suddenly everyone of them started talking at once.  
"Well, see Shan here had always-"  
"Ryo shut up, Ryo no know nothing about-"  
"Quack, quack, quack, quack-"  
"Would you two stop arguing. See, Ranma, what happened was-"  
"No, Ne-ne! Ne-ne no tell Ranma about-"  
"Shan, listen, Ranma has to know otherwise-"  
"Hey, Tsu-tsu, you look so geeky with those glasses as a duck and I think-"  
"QUACK!"  
"Ow! What did you do that for, I-"  
  
"Um...excuse me, but what is going on here?" The group in the garden stopped their arguing to stare at the newcomer...the grand Duchess Ukyo. Ukyo stood there in a long, formal light brown dress that glistened in the sun, her light brown hair up in a lavish ponytail, shining in the sun. A small smile lit her lips as she stared at the group. Her eyes lingered on Ranma with adoration before passing through the others...and landing on Ryoga. Ukyo felt her heartbeat quicken slightly and she turned away.  
"Stupid girl go away, this Shan Pu business!" the gypsy said haughtily and Ukyo just ignored her. She had wanted to dismiss the violet-haired gypsy since the first time she met her. The girl had the gall to insult her and claim she would marry Ranma. Yet, when she mentioned the dismissal to Ranma, he had jumped up and exclaimed no. Ukyo got suspicious that he actually wanted Shampoo's attention and Ranma told her he wasn't. So, Shampoo got to stay.  
  
"Yes, well, I live here so that makes it my business. Now, what is going on here?" Ukyo replied and looked expectantly at the boy with the bandanna. Ryoga looked at the girl and felt himself wanting to blush. What was the matter with him? He met beautiful women all the time, but this one was...different. She was...cute. Ryoga had only met three women in his life who he felt was unique and different. They were Akane, Shan Pu, and...and...he blocked out the memory of her from his mind. The pain was still too fresh, the wound not yet healed.  
"Um...who are you-?" Ryoga began, but suddenly he felt a weight on the top of his head and looked up to see a crouching Ranma on his head saying brightly, "Her name's Ukyo Kounji, 4th Duchess of Nomiya."  
  
Ukyo smiled brightly, somehow hoping her high title would impress the bandanna boy, not knowing why she cared. She felt the instant change come over him though when he heard her title and wondered why. The bandanna boy's eyes turned a dark glacier cold and he was no longer blushing at her. A cold, impersonal smile replaced the warm one he had been giving her and Ukyo internally flinched. He cast a critical, wary eye orher (not unlike the one Akane had given Ranma the day they met in his room).  
  
Ryoga inwardly scowled at himself. She was a duchess! She was a noble! She was...she was...his blood boiled with anger, not at her, but at himself. He actually had thought that noble was *cute*. How could he? Ryoga cast a critical eye over her and thought *...she's a noble alright...look at those clothes...those jewels...*. He felt disgusted with himself and felt the need to lash out at someone. Luckily, a certain someone happened to be near-by.. perched atop his head.  
  
"Get off of my head!" he yelled just before Ranma jumped off his head and landed gracefully on the floor.  
"Geez, touchy aren't you? What's the matter with you?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.  
"Nothing's wrong with me!" Ryoga yelled and pulled back his finger to hitthe ground underneath Ranma before he heard Akane ask behind him, "Do you smell it Shan?"  
Ryoga and Ranma turned to Shan Pu who nodded her head and said, "Shan Pu   
smell it."  
  
"What? What do you smell?" Ukyo asked curiously.  
"Rain," Akane and Shan Pu said at the same time before running towards the nearest building, the kitchen. Ranma, Ryoga, Ukyo, and the duck just stared wide-eyed one second before running towards the kitchen also...but they were too late for the rain had already fell, like tiny bullets. They were too busy worrying about themselves to see the others transform.  
* * *  
Akane heard the door to the kitchen open and close as the others scrambled inside away from the rain. The kitchen was very dark and she couldn't see anything, but could hear the breathing of the others in the room.  
"Shan, come help me light these candles," Akane said and she and Shampoo started to take out candles and light them until the room had a dim light around it. Not great, but it suited enough for them to see.  
  
Akane and Ukyo saw each other first and smiled, but Ukyo suddenly asked Akane, "Where all these animals come from?"Akane smiled and picked up the cat and piglet and put them on the counter, the duck flew up by itself.  
"See, Ukyo, the cat is Shan, the piglet is Ryoga and the duck is...well...you'll see. They were cursed by a very mean old man named-"  
"Jusynkuo?" Ukyo asked stunned.  
"Yes, how do you know?" Akane asked.  
"Lucky guess," the other girl replied weakly. Akane accepted this and pulled out a hot kettle of water out of thin air and poured it over the cat, piglet, and hesitated at the duck but poured it anyway. Ryoga and Shan Pu hastily put on their clothes, but the duck-turned- man pulled out a robe from thin air and wore that.  
  
"How did you do that?" Ukyo asked amazed.  
"Well, you see the curse is activated by cold water and undone by hot water," Akane explained. The duchess shook her head, "No, I meant how did you and him pull out those things from nowhere?"  
"Sub-space pocket. Everyone has one. Maybe I'll show you how to use yours   
another time," Akane said.  
  
Suddenly, a sneeze could be heard in a dark corner of the room and Akane walked over to find a crouching girl there.  
"Ranko!" Akane exclaimed, "What are you doing here? Did you get stuck in the rain?"  
"I-I-" the other girl stammered.  
Shan Pu stomped over and poked Ranko in the chest to confirm what she and   
Ryoga already suspected. She took the kettle from Akane's hands and poured it over Ranko to reveal and wet Ranma.  
"Why Ranma girl? Ranma got cursed by Jusynkuo man too?" Shan Puasked. "R-r-ranma?" Akane stammered, her eyes wide.  
"Um...hi Akane," Ranma gave a cheeky smile just as Akane passed out.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	6. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant   
Chapter 5, Raing Teardrops On A Gypsy's Past  
  
Author's Notes: And here I am yet again with another installment to The Royal Servant. Shal we go into how long it's been. Not much to say except sign my guestbook, e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com or check out my forum and drop me a line (I never understood those 'figure of speeches' I mean drop me a line?). Okay, enjoy now...  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, not me. In no ways do I own Ranma 1/2 (nomatter how much I wish). The song "Don't mind Lay-lay boy" also does not belong to me but to the people at the Ranma 1/2 company *shrugs*. I know "Don' Mind Lay-lay boy lyrics aren't exactly like this but I had some many different versions of the translations for the English I just used the one I liked best. Oh yeah, in this I'm making Japanese gypsy language, alright?  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane slowly sat up, groaning all the while from the fall onto the hard, cold stone ground. Looking around she saw a group of wet,worried people surrounding her in the Palace Servant's Quarters kitchen. Let's see, there was that Terian Prince Ranma, the Nomiya Duchess Ukyo, her best friend Shan, her fiancee Ryo, and Tsu-tsu. So, that part of the dream was true, Ryo and Tsu-tsu did come. The outside rain pattering rhythemically at the kitchen tile roofs only confirmed her suspicions. But not seeing, Ranko, Akane smiled. *At least that part of the dream wasn't true...*  
  
"Ne-ne okay?" Shan asked her friend looking into her brown eyes trying to see if the pupils were dilated or anything.  
Shaking her head, Akane said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine...I think. I had the wierdest dream though. It had Ranma in it and it showed me that Ranma was cursed by the old man Jusynkuo to turn into a girl. More specifically, my friend Ranko. But that's silly, right? Right?"  
But nobody answered her and the young gypsy turned to Ranma to see the Prince laughnervously and scratch the back of her head.  
"Um...Akane...it wasn't a dream. Ranma really does turn into a girl with a splash of cold water. More specifically...your friend Ranko," the duchess among them said.  
  
Ranma continued to look down on the ground in guilt, but when the silence stretched and became almost unbearable he looked up to see a quivering, *glowing*, gypsy Martial Artist with a dark red, blazing schi hammer in her hand. He had one 1/5th of a millisesond to think before the so sid chi mallet imbedded his thick, Princie skull into the opposite wall.  
He continued to get pounded and tried to duck Akane, only to prove it was futile. When he looked into her eyes and saw tears there, he stopped trying to duck.  
  
"You jerk! You jerk! You jerk! Bakabakabakabaka! I trusted you! I trusted Ranko! What was it, huh, Prince? Was it all a game to you and yours alike? Did you and your royal friends laugh about it?! About the stupid servant gi that didn't know her own position and tried to befriend a Prince?" Akane yelled out with a fervor unknown to her before and suddnly the mallet dropped from her hand and disappeared as she looked at Ranma through tearful eyes and said, "I thought you were different...for one idiot second...I thought you were something else...you jerk..."  
  
Ranma was the only one who heard her and saw her pained tears through his bruised eyelids and he felt a pain deep within a part of him he didn't know before. A game? Was that how he always thought things were? True, he didn't believe in feeling and getting attached, after all, a joke was a joke, right? But no...no...not this time...this time it wasn't a joke...and he knew he hadn't wanted to hurt Akane...he actually wanted to be friends with her...because he thought she'd understand...and she had...when he was Ranko...  
Akane understood Ranko...she understood Ranko's spirit...Ranko's passion for adventure and life...but Akane...she wouldn't even want to try and undertsand him...Ranma...  
  
He watched as she turned around and ran to open the door to the kitchen, intending to open the doors and escape...from him...  
The others snapping out of their awe and wonder at the spectical gave shouts of "No!" but Akane didn't listen and open the door. The harsh wind and ice and rain from the storm slammed her into the wall and the others rushed over to shut, lock, and bar the doors again. There was a harsh storm outside, threatening to break and destroy...but there was also a storm brewing in here...threatening to break and destroy his already thin line of friendship with the gypsy girl.  
  
He stumbled towards her and reached out his hand saying, "Akane, I-...I'm sorry..." but the three gypsies: Shampoo, Ryoga and the new, long-haired glasses wearing male gypsy blocked him and barricaded Akane from him. They looked like a wall...a wall keeping and protecting their own from the outsider...from the person that could harm her...  
Shampoo was in the middle and her violet eyes were cold and hard as she said to Ranma in a tone that lacked the usual warmth she held for him, "Ranma stay away. Ranma leave Ne-ne alone. She no need to see Ranma now."  
  
The Prince stood there speechless, his mouth and throat dry, his mouth open but no words came out. Feeling a tugging at his sleeve, he turned around to see Ukyo, his fiancee shake her head at him and she said, "Leave it be, Ranma. They don't want you near her and their not going to let you near her. Let it alone."  
  
So, he gave one last sorrowful glance at Akane before turning away and following Ukyo to sit in another corner in the room. Far enough so that the gypsies would break their barricade...but near enough so that he could sense, look, smell, and hear her...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hours had past and they were all restless. Shampoo and the long-haired boy, Mousse sat on either sides of the doorway watching the rain and storm, hearing it's music. Their heads and bodies were leaned on the door and they were asleep. Ukyo had tooken out the straw sheet from a cupboard and laid it down and slept on it. The pig-boy Ryoga was leaning his back on the wall, Akane beside him resting her head on his shoulder after she had cried out her heart in his shirt, staining it. Now, they just sat there, Ryoga mumbling words to her while he stroked the top of her head and dark mass of hair.  
  
Ranma sat leaning on a cupboard, fuming and pouting at the unfairness of life. *Huh!* he thought turning away from them *Stupid tomboy. Stupid pig-boy. Stupid rain. I don't care if she gets all mushy and let's him hold her. I don't care. I'm a Prince...I don't care what she thinks of me...I don't care if she cares for him...why's life so unfair?...* Ranma spent the last couple of hours thinking about himself. Was he like that? Was what Akane said he was true? Was he nothing at all but a shell of the Terian country and of his parents? Was he just an egotistical, selfish puppy to be indulged and pampered? He had always prided himself on being the best Martial Artist Prince...he had never allowed himself to laze around...but what else?  
  
All his life he had been given what he wanted...what he needed...no questions asked. He was the future King after all. But sometimes, sometimes...he would want to just escape it...he wanted to be able to go out and face the wold...face it's challenges...face it and conquer and gain victory because *he* earned it. He wanted to be free to earn what he got... he wanted independence...and freedom. But what if Akane had been right? What if he went out into the world...and realized that he couldn't face it? These and other thoughts ran through his head and he didn't know what to think anymore...  
*The age old question...fate or free will?...* he wondered.  
  
Suddenly, he was distracted from his thoughts by a gypsy's sweet voice, "I should have known, Ryo, how could I not?"  
"We all fall under the illusion sometimes, Ne-ne. They are all alike, Ne-ne, thieveing, lying, deceitful-" Ryoga growled, but Akane just placed two hands on his cheeks and turned him to her saying, "There are people out there who are good, kind-hearted souls that are born into the wrong family. It's all a matter of life and who they are. Don't let the past cloud your judgemnet, Ryo."  
  
Then, the Pig-boy did something totally unexpected to Ranma...he cried.  
"But I miss her so much, Ne-ne," he rasped out as Akane kissed him softly on the forehead and said as she stroked his hair, "I know. It's okay, Ryo, you'll get past it."  
"But I don't want to get past it. I don't want to forget her!" he said strongly, the tears still coming. Akane put his head in her lap as she whispered, "You won't, Ryo, I promise you. No one can ever forget her. She- she was something else."  
  
Looking up at Akane's beautiful face he whispered, "Thanks, Ne-ne...for everything."  
Looking down at him, she gave a soft smile and said, "Like always, Ryo."  
  
Shocked by what he heard Ranma tried to peace together the pieces of the puzzle, but Akane's voice slowly wafted towards him in a song that he didn't understand, but still hypnotized him anyway...  
  
Yume demo miteru mitai  
Kimi ga ochikomu nante  
  
Senaka o tsutsuita no ni  
Utsouro ni sora o mite sa  
  
Naisho shiteta kedo  
Zutto mae kara: "Wo ai ni"  
  
Genki maki-chirasu  
Kimi ga suki da yo  
  
Don't mind! Rai-Rai Boy  
Egao no hô ga itt-aru  
  
Rai-Rai Boy  
Yume mite ite ne  
  
Don't mind! Rai-Rai Boy  
Meso-meso shiteru to  
  
Rai-Rai Boy  
Uwaki shichau zo  
  
Namida wa poi "shichai na"  
Yûhi ga warau  
  
Namaiki "tobashichai na"  
Itsumo no kimi to…  
Kenga ga "shitai na"  
  
She stopped there and Ranma turned around slightly and saw that Ryoga was asleep, his head in her lap. He and Akane were the only ones awake and she softly placed Ryoga's head on the floor, giving him a soft kiss on the forehead that shot an arrow through Ranma's heart before walking over to sit next to him. For awhile they both said nothing, not knowing how to begin...or not knowing where it would end...  
  
"Why?" she finally asked him. Yet, in that one word a wealth of explanations were to be given. Looking up at her he asked, "Why I lied or why I tricked you?"  
"Why at all?" she asked softly and he felt his heart was about to break.  
"I-I don't know. When I first saw you...as Ranko...I- I thought that I don't know...maybe you could understand and help me...you being a gypsy and all," he said desperatly, not knowing what he was really trying to say. *Because I l-...no that wasn't possible. I can't l-...feel that way about her..not yet...it's too soon...and not with her...it's not true...just the stress of what happened...that's all...* he thought.  
  
"B-but Shan's a gypsy too and she would have been more then happy to be your friend if not more, why me?" she asked him, her eyes searching his now and Ranma knew that if she saw something in his eyes that she didn't want to...he would never get a cahnce with her again.  
"Because, you...you were different. I don't how...maybe it's your energy...but when I'm around you...even when you were angry at me or didn't like me...I felt...I don't know...like there was a reason for me to be here...this is stupid!" he shot his hands up in there in frustration and started to walk away, but she pulled his arm and held him back, making him sit again.  
  
"So...when you were Ranko...all the things you said...the things you told me...were true?" she asked quietly.  
"Yeah," he tried to smile, but failed. This was it...the final decision...the ball was in her court now...  
Akane thought back to all the things Ranko told her. The need and desperation for freedom...for independence...Ranko would have given up everything just for a chance... one chance...at a human life...to live life...to defeat obstacles...tof ight for what she wants... and all those words...that passion for life...belonged to Ranma...every single word of it. Akane looked up at Ranma and suddenly, suddenly she saw him in a new light.   
  
His dark, blue-black hair which was usually in it's neat pig-tail was hanging wet and limp, his hair out of place, his bangs in his eyes. His large-dark-blue eyes suddenly seemed more dangerous and glinting in the dark..like a feral tiger ready to strike...a hunter on the loose. His expensive Prince clothes were soaking wet and looked like rags in this light. All in all, the great handsome Prince Ranma Saotome looked like a ragged peasant Ranma.  
Akane didn't know it...but in that very moment...she fell head over heels in love...  
  
Pushing a thick wet bang from that had fallen in front of his eyes she whispered, "I guess me and Ranko can't be friends anymore..." and added a couple seconds to let him digest that.   
When she saw his face lose mostly all that was left of it's color she took pity on him and kissed his forehead as she whispered, "But I wouldn't mind hanging around Ranma. For the time that I'm here."  
  
Ranma felt relief and joy rush over his body like waterfalls and when Akane pulled backl they both blushed at the innocent peck on the forehead for it was so much more then that. It was a promise.  
"Of course, this doesn't mean I have to get along with that baka Prince," she smiled and he smiled also saying, "And I don't have to get along with that uncute tomboy."  
  
She punched him lightly on the arm, but said, "I'm going to let that one slide. But just this once."  
"Akane?" he asked her.  
"Hmmm?" she answered.  
"I have a favor to ask you..." he said nervously and the gypsy girl knew that this whatever it was was making Ranma shake inside and all over.   
  
Taking a deep breath Ranma said quickly, "Canyoumakemeagypsylikeyou?"  
Akane smiled, she heard him, but she asked, "What did you say?" just to torture him.  
"I said, caould you make me a gypsy like you?" he asked looking down.  
"Well, I don't know Ranma, if you're a gypsy you have a lot of responisbility and things to learn before the Matriarch, my hiba-chan comes back. By that time she's going to test you and if you past then you get to become a gypsy," Akane said.  
  
"Isn't there any other way?" the Prince asked.  
"Well yeah, two others. One if you were born into a gypsy family and the second if you marry a gypsy. You naturally aren't born as a gypsy and no gypsy woman would marry an oustider. Except Shan. You can always marry Shan," she joked and Ranma grimaced before saying, "I'll take the training...that is...if you'll help me?"  
Hitting him in the arm again, the dark haired girl said, "Hey, don't talk about Shan like that. And fine, I'll help you. Tsu-tsu, Shan, and Ryo can help you too. Although, Ryo and Tsu-tsu will probably kill you before they help you."  
  
Fianlly, now that they were on the subject Ranma asked, "What's with the two? I know who Ryoga is and I assume that long-haired gypsy is Tsu-tsu but why do they get to travel around and why don't they like me? And what about what happened earlier today? What was that all about?"  
Akane looked at the two male gypsies in question and said, "Tsu-tsu is a greta guy but he's seriously in love with Shan and has trained all his life in order to beat her in combat and therefore win her as his wife. Unfortunatly for him when he reached the point where he was better then Shan, the person who allows the challenges to be issued, me, had lost a bet to Shan and therefore paid it by not letting the challenge be issued. He's been chasingg us ever since. Ryo...he...he really doesn't like outsiders...especially nobles and royalty, so I would stay out of his way if I were you."  
  
"What was it you sang earlier anyway? I couldn't understand a word of it," Ranma asked.  
Akane smiled softly as she turned to look at her fiancee, "Oh that's a song me and Ryo have dubbed as our own. It's called Don't Mind Lay-lay boy. It's in gypsy language but I can sing it in Terian."  
She opened her mouth and this time when Ranma heard the music, he also undertsood the words...  
  
Just like a dream; don't know what I should say  
Being depressed like this is not your style  
  
Even tho' I poke at you for a while  
Sadly, you don't hear me...  
You look away  
  
Even tho' I never let it show  
From the first day I met you: "Wo ai ni!"  
  
Energy that you spend so free...  
It's me who loves you, you know  
  
Don't mind! China Boy  
Frown 'n' you'll bring me down, my...  
  
China Boy  
Dreaming, I love you best  
  
Don't mind! China Boy  
Boo-hoo 'n' you'll make me blue, my...  
  
China Boy  
I don't have to stay, you know  
  
Take those tears, and...  
Toss 'em to China  
  
Who needs glum when we've got the sun?  
  
Take those sighs, and...  
Toss 'em asi-da!  
  
Let's go back to days of old...  
A fight would be so fi-na  
  
On the other side of the room, Ryoga stirred in his sleep and a soft name escaped from his lips, "Akari..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: The more you e-mail me and encourage me the faster I'll get the next chapter out. 


	7. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant  
Chapter 6, Not His Fault  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is! The next chapter to The Royal Servant. You know, when I started this story I didn't think people would like it, actually. But now, it's actually giving SP, BD a run for its money! Okay, let's get back to more important things. Thanx to alllll the people that e-mailed me about this story. It was a great help, like getting candies and flowers while you're in the hospital to help you get better. Writer's Block begone! Begone? Is that still a word? Do people still use it? :) Okay, okay, onto the story that hopefully, ya'll will enjoy...  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and I belong to me.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Ranma, for the last time, this technique is one of the essential things you need to know to become a gypsy. All gypsies are required to know it and they are taught this technique when they were only four. You will not and can not become a gypsy without this technique," Akane said exasperated. Ranma shot her an annoyed look from where he sat next to her.  
Akane sighed and continued to bandage and put salve on his crispy, burnt hands.  
"Listen, Akane, the directions you gave me weren't exactly that crystal clear, y'know," Ranma grumbled, "Throw some chestnuts into an open-fire and make me fast enough to catch and disintegrate them before they hit the fire floor isn't very specific. I mean, my hands are roasted more then the chestnuts are and can't we work on another technique?"  
  
"No! Now, watch one more time," Akane commanded and proceeded to do the technique perfectly without ruining her hands.  
"Ranma! Ne-ne!" a shrill, female voice shouted out.  
Akane smiled happily as Ranma gave a loud groan.  
  
"Lunchtime!" Akane shouted as she went to greet the purple-haired gypsy girl with the basket full of delicious food and drinks.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane sneaked a look at the Prince of Terian from the top of her sandwich. Ranma had a comically frightened look on his face as Shan tried to feed him an orange while she slinked her body around his. Akane almost burst out laughing at the sight. It was just so funny to see the arrogant Prince so helpless in the arms of a female. Her and Ranma had been training hard now for a full two weeks every morning from the break of dawn until lunchtime when she would get back to her servant duties. Kasumi had told everyone that she was pregnant already and the whole palace seemed to vibrate with joy as they prepared for her journey back to Jyuan.  
  
"Just one bite. Very nice fruit, yes? Sweet, juicy-" Shan said and Akane couldn't help but let a giggle escape her lips. She quickly looked down at her sandwich to avoid the glare Ranma shot her.   
Shan gave a giggle and slid off of Ranma as she smiled at Akane and said in gypsy, "He's so cute when he's like this. I know he doesn't like it when I do stuff like this but it's all worth it just to see him squirm. I wonder what he'd do if I crawled into bed with him one night naked."  
  
Ranma watched in confusion as Akane started to choke on her sandwich and he scrambled over to pat her on the back. When she stopped choking she took one look at him then another at Shampoo before breaking out into a hysterical fit of laughter.  
"What did you say to her?" he demanded of Shampoo since he felt as if Akane's humor was at his expense.  
"Shampoo say nothing. Shampoo go now," the other gypsy said quickly before flashing him a smile and running off with her basket.  
  
When Akane seemed to have calmed down a bit, he watched her lay down on the grassy hill and stare at the clouds.  
"What did Shampoo say?" he asked angrily and when she didn't answer he sat down next to her and leaned over her so that her face and his were only inches apart and she couldn't avoid his question.  
"What did Shampoo say?" he grounded out again and he saw as a beautiful pink flush found it's way up Akane's face. It was like watching a flower blooming.  
  
Ranma suddenly noticed the exact position they were in and he felt himself heat up...and not all of it was from blushing. *Okay, calm down...breathe-no wait...don't breathe... calm down...can she hear my heart?...of course she could...it's beating so damn hard... concentrate...heart...stop beating so fast...concentrate...she smells so nice...damn!...*  
They just laid there for awhile, their breaths intermingled and his breathing uneven. She smelled like happiness and joy and fire and spirit...she smelled like Akane. Just Akane. But it wasn't her smell or her face that drew him in...it was her eyes...those damn dark, sultry brown eyes...  
  
Ranma looked into those eyes and felt as if he was drowning in fire...in flaming hot molten lava...and he never wanted to go back to the real world again...and then Akane licked her lips...and Ranma started to bend his head as she raised hers...  
*...I'm not going to kiss him....I'm not going to kiss him...* Akane chanted over and over again...  
*...I'm going to kiss her...I'm going to kiss her...* Ranma inwardly thought.  
  
"Ryo," Akane suddenly whispered...and the moment was shattered...although Ranma couldn't help but feel his heart crack a little.  
"What?" he asked as he got off of her. He felt disgusted at hearing the hurt in his voice.  
"Ryoga," Akane explained as she stood up, "He's angry. Very, very angry. I can feel it."  
"So?" Ranma asked as he stood up too. The stupid idiot Ryoga gets a little bit angry and she has to go running to him?  
  
"No, you don't get it," Akane said running a hand through her hair as she tried to concentrate and pin-point the location where Ryoga was at, "Ryo has this...thing...and when he gets really angry or really depressed he can't control his powers...and well...the last time this happened a whole town was destroyed in 3 seconds. Got it." And she ran off leaving a confused Ranma to chase after her.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
What Ranma saw when he and Akane arrived on the scene stunned him. They were in the gardens where Ryoga had opted to camp out at instead of using one of the palaces' many rooms. The boy in question stood in the center of the garden glowing a dark blackish gray color that grew with every second. Ukyo stood to the side, her face in horror, a bracelet in her hand.  
"What's happening?" Ranma shouted to the duchess.  
"I-I don't know!" Ukyo just exclaimed.  
  
Before they knew what happened Akane had already burst forward and threw herself into the black glow that surrounded Ryoga.  
"Akane, no!" the Prince shouted but the girl paid no heed to him or his words. Akane wrapped her arms around Ryoga and whispered in his ear, "Shhhh....shhh...it's okay, Ryo...it's okay... it's Ne-ne...shhh...calm down..." Ranma and Ukyo watched in shock as Akane continued this and the glow around Ryoga started to dim and then fade as the boy collapsed onto his knees. Akane's arms were still around him, Ranma noted painfully.  
  
The gypsy girl hit a point on Ryoga's neck and he collapsed in a heap onto the ground. Akane turned wary eyes to Ranma then Ukyo and it was there that her eyes flashed with anger at the bracelet in Ukyo's hands. Standing up, Akane stomped over to where Ukyo stood and she asked as she snatched the bracelet out of Ukyo's hands, "Where did you get this?"  
Ranma hurried over and took a closer look at the bracelet. It was very beautiful, made from magnificent...flowers? Anyways, there were some strange symbols on the side of the bracelet.  
  
"I...I...I bought it from a local wanderer," Ukyo said numbly.  
"Damn!" Akane cursed.  
"Mind telling me what's going on?" Ranma asked and Akane turned stricken eyes to him.  
"I can't," she whispered and he felt his chest tighten at her unwillingness to trust him.  
"I think you should, Akane or this just might happen again," Ukyo drawled out slowly and Akane sighed as she nodded and motioned for the two Royals to follow her inside.  
"What about him?" Ranma asked, pointing at the unconscious Ryoga.  
"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Me and Ryo have always been engaged, for as long as I could remember and it wasn't something that was overly stressed. He was a wandering gypsy and we only saw each other a couple months a year at best...but he was still my best friend...besides Shan and Tsu-tsu. For awhile I guess...when I was little he had a crush on me...but he got past that. I was always happy to see him though and I guess a piece of me will always belong to him. He was my first crush, first kiss, first everything. Ryo was always so sweet, so optimistic, so carefree, but it was that year that changed it all...  
  
######Flashback######  
The 16-year-old girl sat in the caravan, humming softly as she cleaned and wiped the golden sword. She abruptly stopped her work when a purple-haired teenager entered the caravan, all flushed and excited.  
"Ne-ne, Ryo's back!" Shan cried before running out again. Akane stood up quickly and rushed out also, her sword forgotten behind her.  
  
Ryoga looked up from among the midst of hugs and kisses along with congratulations to see a beautiful, blue-haired girl stop a few feet away with tears in her eyes. He slowly started to walk over...then ran and picked her up and swung her around. They both laughed with joy until Ryoga had stopped spinning and put Akane back on her feet.  
"Akane, guess what?" he exclaimed happily, his face illuminating with joy.  
"What?" whatever could make her best friend this happy must certainly be good.  
"I'm getting married!" he shouted and Akane felt the world drop from under her.  
######End of Flashback#######  
  
"...I have to admit it was a shock to me as much as anyone but I think it hurt me the most simply because I hadn't gotten over my crush on Ryo at the time. But he was happy and so I was too. It wasn't exactly heartbreak I felt...it was more of a slight ache at the pit of my stomach and the top of my heart. Like I was losing my best friend forever," at that Akane turned so that her eyes were looking out the window.  
  
"It turned out, when Ryo had been traveling in his cursed form, a girl had saw the cute little piggy and adopted it. Her name was Akari and she had been a pig-farmer. Ryoga said that he took one look at her through his beady pig eyes and he was in love. She was perfect in his eyes...untarnished...beautiful...and I guess in a way, Akari was perfect. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't not like her. But the problem was, Akari only knew P-chan, Ryo's pig form...she didn't know Ryoga. So, he went onto her farm in disguise as a worker for the pigs. I think it was during that time the Akari fell in love with Ryo and he asked her to marry him. That he was willing to give up wandering to be with her," at this Akane gave a ghost of a smile that soon turned bitter.  
  
"It was perfect...wonderful...the love of the century. You should have seen the way he was around her, I never saw my arrogant, confidant Ryo turn into a shy, blushing guy before, but that's how he was around Akari. Around Akari, Ryo would trip over chairs, blush, laugh for no reason and no one could deny that he was lovesick over the girl and that she practically worshiped the ground he walked on. But as always, perfection doesn't exist and there is always something to ruin it. There was a noble...I can't even remember the bastard's name now...he had wanted Akari for himself for a long time and was very angry that she decided to marry Ryo. So, you know what he did? Do you?" Akane asked furiously and for one brief second it wasn't Ranma and Ukyo in front of her...it was the Prince and Duchess.  
  
"The bastard kidnapped Akari and raped her! Nobody would fight against the power that noble held and so the gypsies decided to help Ryo get in and help Akari escape... but it was too late...Akari...she...she had committed suicide...slit her wrists with the glass of the window...and on the wall written in blood was...'I love you Ryoga'..." Akane said. The gypsy girl broke down crying but she continued to tell her story.  
  
"It was terrible...horrible...Ryo...he...he really hurt that bastard...made sure he couldn't have kids too...but it wasn't enough...because Akari wasn't coming back...and that was how we learned of his power. Ryo had this special thing where he channeled his energy based solely on his emotions and it was in a wreck at the moment. He blew up a whole town...and we were lucky it was abandoned and those in it were only minor injured. Everyone was afraid to go near him since he hurt everyone that did...except me...for some reason...he didn't hurt me...never did. And I was the only one that could possibly know how much he loved her...how many hours he spent sobbing...  
  
"...I would comfort him and he would tell me stories of him and Akari and I think it was in that moment that I realized I didn't love Ryo...not in the way I thought I did...I loved him like a brother...and nothing more...it was a sort of unspoken agreement that our engagement was back on and we were to be married since Ryo promised himself he wouldn't love anyone else and I would rather marry Ryo then marry some fiancee that I never met before. I've seen a lot of people proclaim they loved each other...I've read a lot of romance novels...but none of them...none of them came close to what Ryo and Akari had...that was love...and it was doomed from the start..." Both Ranma and Ukyo looked at Akane in shock.  
  
The girl suddenly pointed at Ukyo's bracelet, "After Akari's incident, Ryo hated any and all nobles, especially royalty. That bracelet you have...Ryo made that for Akari... those symbols on the side says her name entwined with Ryo's...it's what the groom gives the bride for the gypsies...it's like a wedding certificate. He must have been very angry to see you with it. Now, if you'll excuse me I have work to do."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A figure entered the garden...her long skirts swishing around her. She took out a bracelet and put it on the hand of the unconscious boy on the ground. The figure gave the sleeping boy a kiss on the forehead before disappearing into the night again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"...now, you will need a change of clothing so we'll have to pack your clothes also," Akane said and the Queen just grabbed her hand to have the servant girl kneeling at her feet.  
"Oh Akane," Kasumi laughed, "I don't need that much clothing and things. I think I can manage."  
At that the blue-haired girl just pouted and hugged the Queen, "I'm going to miss you so much Kasumi."  
  
"No, you're not," Kasumi said and Akane started, "What?"  
"You're coming with me," Kasumi said sweetly.  
Akane stared at the Queen in confusion, "But why? I mean, you have enough servants."  
"I want you to see Jyuan, Akane," the other said softly.  
"Why?" Akane whispered.  
Kasumi took Akane's face in her hands and whispered as she stared in the younger girl's eyes, "Because I have reason to believe that you are the lost Princess Akane Kimiko Washuki Tendo...lost heir to the Jyuan throne."  
  
In the doorway of the room, Ranko dropped her glass of water.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Minor cliffhanger.  



	8. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant

Chapter 7, Princesses Don't Sing To The Moon

Author's Notes: Actually, I wrote this chapter on the last minute 'cause Animefreak suggested I give you guys a Christmas present. :) Here it is...

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, Ranma!" the Queen exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," the girl said shakily as she bent down to pick up the pieces of glass. Akane, her eyes worried, bent down to help the girl. *...how much did she hear...* the gypsy thought in wonderment. She had dismissed Kasumi's words as purely the ravings of a pregnant woman. The mid-wife in her gypsy camp had told her how emotional women can get when they were with child.

When they were done picking up the glass, the two stood up...but though Akane's eyes were centered on the other...Ranma would not meet her own.

"Ranma, are you okay?" the blue-haired girl asked, her eyes clouded. Why was Ranma acting to strange about this? It wasn't as if he didn't already know this. Shoot, the whole castle knew about Kasumi's determination in saying that Akane was the former Princess of Jyuan. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, I have to go..." and with that the Prince mumbled something about the kitchen being on fire and quickly exited the room. 

Akane turned to Kasumi but the Queen just smiled and said, "Go, I can handle it from here." Smiling gratefully at Kasumi, the girl ran from the room to chase after her friend.

She found Ranma quickly walking down the corridor, not too far from the Queen's room.

"Hey," she said as she placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "What was that all about?"

The shorter girl searched the gypsy's swirling, brown eyes for a second before shaking her head. Her small lips tightened and it almost seemed as if she was angry with herself about something.

"Nothing," Ranma grumbled before turning around again.

"Fine then! Be that way!" Akane shouted as she threw her hands up in the air and marched the other way. Ranma watched her angry form down the hallway before turning the other way and leaving also.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{...a long, long time ago...a time so near and yet so far...people forget...until brought back by a memory...}

The boy fidgeted on his velvet chair at the head table. The robes were making his back itchy and the gold crown was weighing down his head. The lights were too bright in the room and the all the people's smiles down below at the other tables were making him uncomfortable. Pulling at his shirt, the young Prince scowled at how hot it suddenly seemed.

"Stop fidgeting and sit up straight," the woman beside him reprimanded. If it hadn't been his mother, the boy would have stuck his tongue out at the woman. Too bad it had been his mother though.

Ranma leaned forward and looked down the long table at his right. Ugh...grown-ups. Then, he turned his head and looked to his right. At least there were children on that side. His eyes wandered and landed on his betrothed. She sat up tall and straight on her chair, immaculate...but every now and then...she would look at the older sister by her side and sit up straighter...as though imitating the older Princess.

Akane Tendo.

Ugh! Ranma had to keep from gagging. She was so weird! She kept running around in the woods and for all the time that he stayed here...this was the only time that he saw her dress and face clean. Usually she was running around somewhere all day and would come back home with dirt all over. Then, she had the nerve to argue with him! That...that...girl...even fought him! It was his first time at the castle and he had wandered into the kitchens. There she was, with soot on her face, peering over the boiling pot from her perch on the high chair. She had been smiling and asking the cook all sorts of questions. Curious, the Prince had walked over and demanded to try and piece of what she was cooking since she looked like a servant. The girl had gotten all indignant and said that 'nobody commanded her to do anything.' He had naturally, gotten angry that a servant would dare talk back to him and had insulted her. 

Next thing he knew he was on the floor with bruises and the cook was clutching the screaming maniac of a girl in his arms. 

Hmph! Ranma leaned back in his chair with a pout. He did not like Akane Tendo! She was a violent, crazy, ugly...tomboy! Why did he have to be betrothed to her? Why couldn't he be betrothed to Ukyo who was so much more nicer and sweeter? The meals started and soon all thoughts of the violent Princess vanished from Ranma's thoughts and mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Prince woke up with a start in the middle of the night. Something had just banged outside his door. Ever the one for adventure, he slowly crept from his bed, and careful not to awaken his maid, he opened the door a crack. A small form with a candle in her hand crept from the shadows and when it passed the moonlit window, he could see it was the youngest Princess. What was she doing here in the middle of the night? She should be in bed so that she could wake up early the next morning and say good-bye to him!

Angry and slightly miffed, Ranma decided to follow her and find out what she was up to. Careful to stay near, but not too close, the Prince of Teria followed her down to the main hall down on the first floor. From there, she went to the back kitchen and opening a latch...she left the castle. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ranma followed her into the woods, barefoot. 

Akane entered the dark woods and searched for a warm, dry spot. The warm dry spot proved to be at the large, root of an old, oak tree. Softly, she laid down and curled up next to the root and closed her eyes. The forest and woods were around to lull her to sleep.

"You're going to get in trouble," a voice broke through her peace. Akane's eyes flashed open and sitting up, she glared at the young boy not too far from her. Even though the night masked his face, she could tell from his stance and voice that it was that dorky Prince.

"Not if no one tells on me," she said in a warning tone.

Ranma rolled his eyes as he walked over and sat down next to her.

"Pipe down, Princess. No one's going to tell on- ewww...what is this?" 

Akane gave a laugh as she saw what had happened. The Prince had just sat on some dead tree leaves that had gotten soaked by the rain. 

"Have a seat, it's nothing more then leaves and mud," she gorlwe,d although she couldn't keep the humor out of her voice. The Prince gave another scowl before scooting in a seat closer to her at the dry side.

"So, what are you doing here this late?" he asked.

"You promise you won't telling anyone, right?" she said just to make sure.

"Yeah, yeah, now are you going to tell me or not?"

"I will if you'll stop talking for a minute! I come here...because...it feels right. I can't sleep in the castle...it's not cool like the forest or half as comforting," the child explained.

"You prefer this to a nice, warm bed?" Ranma asked skeptically as he held up some globs of dirt.

"Actually, yes, I do," Akane said in a high-handed tone. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have some sleep to get to. I do have to send a bratty Prince off tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna be glad to leave you too, Princess," the Prince countered but instead of getting up to leave, he settled down beside her.

After awhile the boy whispered before he closed his eyes, "Good-night Princess." The girl was already asleep. 

And the next morning when he woke up...she was gone...and when he left she wasn't there to greet him good-bye. He left Jyuan angry that day...and a few months later...the King died...and the Princess Akane was reported missing.

Sadly, the boy never returned to Jyuan or those woods again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{...the present is here...and the boy remembers...}

Ranma, piles of books around him, looked furiously through one large volume. On the front were the words 'Portraits of the Jyuan Royal House.' Numerous books like this were scattered all around him. He was searching for something...a picture...a portrait of that child he met so many years ago. The lost Princess of Jyuan. He had just brushed it off like everyone else when Kasumi claimed Akane was her sister. Yet now...now he wasn't so sure. That one moment...that one moment when he had been outside Kasumi's door...the light had hit the blue-haired gypsy's face in a way...a way that made it look more softer...yet more wild at the same time. Only once had he seen a look like that. For an instant, it was as though he had gotten a glimpse at the past...and the future...immersed into one. Then, it was gone...but somehow Akane had changed...and he couldn't rest until he was certain. Certain of what he still was not sure.

There was only one thing he was sure of now...Akane had to go back to Jyuan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Duchess stood by the archway to the garden, staring sadly at the boy fixing his tent. He hadn't noticed her yet and she could tell by his stance that he was scowling. He was an enigma...this boy...this gypsy with the broken heart. She shouldn't be here...she should just forget about him and go to Ranma...but there was something about him. There was something so much more...vulnerable...about him. He didn't have that 'I'm-a-tough-guy-nothing-can-harm-me' act that Ranma always carried for as along as she knew him. Ranma always seemed as though he had to prove himself to some invisible person...he had to be strongest, smartest, quickest...in one word...best. Yet, this boy...he acted as though none of that mattered. He acted as though you can not be the best and still be happy about it.

A servant walked by and bowed to her.

"Your grace," the girl curtsied. Ukyo nodded at her and she walked on.

Ryoga turned around and stared at her with his piercing, black eyes. His face was set in a scowl, just like she knew it would be.

"What do you want?" he growled out in suspicion. She could see the bracelet hanging from his wrist. 

"What? No thank you?" she asked.

Ryoga looked down at the bracelet in his hand a second before saying, "Why? It was mine to begin with. You should have given it to me."

Ukyo stood by, her slaw hanging. How utterly...ungracious and rude of him! 

Seeing her speechlessness, Ryoga turned around and waved a hand dismissively.

"You can go now, your grace. There is nothing for you here," he said offhandedly. 

Now Ukyo was angry.

"In case you haven't noticed, gypsy, this is more my palace then yours," she said in an offhanded tone. She instantly regretted it. This wasn't like her. She should just apologize right now and leave.

"Well, of course. How dare I tell the Grand Duchess what to do," Ryoga snarled. That just brought back Ukyo's anger and frustration tenfold. She marched up to him until she was directly in his line of vision and he couldn't help but look at her.

"Listen, sugar, why don't you just lay off this whole I-hate-all-nobles act and deal with the actual issue. You like me! Admit it!" she shouted. There was not a second that she believed her words, but anger sometimes had a habit of making you say things just for the benefit of saying it.

She hadn't expected all that color to come to his head and have that cute face scrunch up in anger though. She, also, didn't know that anger was directed at her.

He pulled away from her and started to walk away.

"I got to go. I got to find Ne-ne," he mumbled.

The Duchess couldn't stop him and so she did the only thing she knew how. 

"You coward! Go ahead! Go running off to precious Ne-ne! She won't always be there to protect you and listen to your problems, you know! One of these days she's going to wake up and realize she could do better! She doesn't need you...you need her! Guess what, Ryoga? Guess where she is? She's probably with one of us! She's probably with the Queen, Kasumi, or my fiancee, Ranma! Who do you think she'll choose...you or us?" The words were meant to hurt Ryoga anyway that it could.

The sad thing was...even though Ryoga tried to deny it...

...when he found Akane...

...she was with the Queen...

...and she was laughing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{...a time not so long ago...years before...a time...when that the girl...the gypsy...remembers...}

The girl crawled out of bed. Silently, she crept out of the caravan, pass the sleeping women and snoring men. The child did not want to get caught. Somehow, some instinctive part of her told her that she would get yelled at if they discovered she was not asleep. After all, it was dark and didn't everyone sleep when it was dark? Everyone except her that was. She could not sleep in the confining walls of the caravan...for some explicable reason...she knew she could only sleep outside. Maybe she'll make it back in time before morning and won't get in trouble. With that happy thought, Akane made her way outside.

She hadn't expected to find what she did.

There was a roaring fire in the middle of the circle of caravans and people slept all around it...some in the dark, some in the light...some with pillows and blankets...others on the dirt floor. Around the fire sat some of the mean-looking gypsies who kept sneering at her ever since she woke up and found herself here. That old woman who explained to her that she lost her memory and that she could stay with them didn't bother to tell her how cold the others would be. She had been with them for a few days now and they all seemed to ignore her presence. 

Akane stood by the caravan wondering if she should go near the fire or go back to her caravan. It was getting cold and she couldn't help but shiver. So far none of the people around the fire have noticed her yet, but she couldn't help but feel eyes on her. This is stupid, she thought. Finally gathering up her courage, the child lifted her head and walked over to the fire. She did not dare look at the others as she sat down at a nice, warm place in front of it. No one spoke a word to her and Akane avoided eye contact with any of them.

"Here," a soft voice said before a steaming cup was pushed in front of her face. Akane looked to her right to see a kid like her wrapped up in blankets and holding a cup. She looked up and peeked into the cup. The smell was delicious and it did look rather tasty. 

She took it in her hands and gave a small smile at the boy.

"Thank you," she said and watched as his face blushed brighter then the fire.

"Y-you're welcome," he stammered. "But don't thank me...they told me to give it to you."

"Who?" the girl asked curiously. The boy looked pointedly at the people around the fire who Akane suddenly noticed had cups in their hands too. One of them winked at her.

"Drink it," the boy beside her said.

"But what's our name?" Akane asked. She was tired. She didn't know who she was and she didn't know who any of these people were. She knew they must have names just like her...if only she could find out what it was.

"Drink first," he said earnestly and she could see that his eyes sparkle. How strange, she thought, I didn't know someone could have black eyes. She looked into the tempting cup once more before closing her eyes and bringing it to her lips. She waited slowly before the liquid touched her lips...and then spit it out. The stuff was disgusting...it tasted like grass...only...worse...so much worse. 

Akane's eyes hot wide open when she realized what she had just done. Now they'll never act nice to her!

She felt something drape over her shoulders and looked up to see a gypsy man putting a large blanket over her. Akane felt something warm at her arm and looked to see it was that little boy's hand.

She turned questioning eyes to his laughing ones which seemed so dark before.

"My name is Ryo," he said lightly. Not understanding Akane looked around at the other gypsies who were smiling indulgently at her now like she saw them smile at the other children.

"What happened?" she asked. 

"You're one of us now," a woman to Akane's left said.

Akane didn't understand what happened...and she would not for many years...but she knew something important *had* happened. The next day she would get her name from the Matriarch and in the next couple of weeks she would get her training and her lessons. But now...now she was just a tired, little girl. The fire was so warm and the blanket so comforting...she didn't notice it when she fell over on the little boy's shoulder...fast asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{...the present...}

Ryoga lay in his tent, thinking...though some would call in brooding. It was dark outside but the Duchess's words from earlier haunted him. With her parting words, she had hit straight center into his fear. He had thought about it all day and finally he came to a decision. He knew it was not the gypsy way, what he was about to do. The gypsy's single teaching had been 'Let things be as they naturally should and things that should be will present itself.' By doing this, he was not allowing things to go as they naturally would and that was wrong...but he could not bare to lose Akane. They would surely understand...after all... he was only changing the natural way slightly.

With that determination in his mind, Ryoga searched through his bags for a paper and some ink. He needed to start his letter to the Matriarch and the tribe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Focus all of your energy on that one point, Ranma," Akane said in exasperation as she threw another barrage of stones at the Prince. Ranma stood his ground, refusing the strong urge to dodge, and tried to hit all the stones with one finger and make them explode. They all ended up hitting him. Truly frustrated now, Akane stomped over and smacked Ranma at the back of his head.

"Pay attention! Do you want to fail or something!" Now, Ranma was pushed past endurance too. He had been training under the hot sun for most of the morning with a cranky Akane (that even Shampoo knew to avoid) and his patience was wearing thin.

"Hey, I'm trying here, okay?" he shouted back at her. Akane's lips tightened.

"Fine, if you want to be that way, I won't help you anymore. Learn to be a gypsy by yourself! See if I care, you jerk," Akane cried out before walking off. 

"Stupid tomboy," Ranma muttered. What was wrong with her? He knew that the first few days after his realization, he had acted strangely towards her...true. But after he got over the weird feeling and suspicion he learned that no matter who she may have been...she really *was* just Akane. He still hadn't broached the subject about going to Jyuan with her yet...not without trying. He couldn't bring it up with her acting so bad-tempered and irritable. What *was* the matter with her? *She probably told her gypsy friends* Ranma thought bitterly. He could just go ask them, but he didn't want to admit to pig-boy that he didn't know something about Akane. He didn't know Mousse or whatever his name was well enough to ask so that left only one option.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane sat by the stream, berating herself for her behavior towards Ranma...but too stubborn to go and apologize. She knew she's been kind of hard to deal with lately, but she couldn't help it. Even Shan had said this morning that Ryo wasn't going to want to marry a sour girl. Naturally, she had run off before Akane could retaliate.

The blue-haired girl sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Some deep gut feeling kept telling her that Ranma was going to be taken away from her.

With an angry and frustrated swipe, Akane hit the water and stood up. What did she care if she was going to be separated from that stupid Prince. She didn't care. She was going to miss Kasumi and the Palace and Mamees...but not that stupid jerk of a Prince. 

The blue-haired girl started to make her way towards the large Palace. The Queen, Kasumi, kept smiling and telling her to get ready for her tip to Jyuan...no matter how many times Akane tried to tell her that she wasn't going. Kasumi seemed to have implanted it into her head that there was no way Akane could resist. That this was somehow fate. Well, as much as she hated to disappoint the lovely, pregnant Queen, Akane was not going. She was going to fulfill her nine months here with Shan then leave. It would hurt, of course, there were always strings and it always hurts. Hiba-chan and the other older gypsies had told her that parting with someone will always hurt...but you must learn to get pass that and grow from it. That was the difference between gypsies and ordinary people. Gypsies knew that in the natural course of things...there will always be someone new to love...and someone new to care about or hate.

She just didn't see how in the world she was going to find another Ranma. 

Suddenly, Akane heard a cackle of laughter nearby. Her eyes widened. There was only one person with that hideous...and endearing laugh. There it was again! Akane swung around so fast it was a surprise her bones didn't break. There on the hill slightly above her stood an old, wrinkled (quite wrinkled) old crone. With a shout of joy (that was all sincere), all thoughts disappeared from Akane's mind as she ran towards the old woman and hugged her with all her might.

"There, there, little girl, put me down," the old woman laughed.

Akane did as she was told, but her eyes glimmered with barely repressed excitement.

"I missed you so much, hiba-chan!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma was pacing the room when the purple-haired servant entered. Shan Pu grinned as she slyly shut the door and sneaked up to the Prince. With a shout, she jumped up and grabbed Ranma from behind, hugging his neck tight.

"Oh, Ranma call for Shampoo?" she asked in an innocent, happy voice.

"Yes, I wanted to ask you some-would you please let me go for a second?" Ranma asked in annoyance seeing as how his attempts to disentangle the gypsy from his body failed. Every time he removed one of her limbs from his own, it would crawl right back on again.

"W-why? Ranma no like Shampoo no more?" the girl asked as her lips started to quiver and her eyes to water.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. I just-"

"Great!" with that Shan Pu gave a large grin and knocked Ranma onto the bed. 

"Ugh! Get off of me!" Ranma shouted as he tried to find a spot on the girl's body that he could push away without giving her any ideas.

"Ranma don't be shy. Shampoo Ranma future wife. She take care of Ranma, ne?" If Ranma didn't know better, he would think that large smile on her face was anything but innocent. He had to get out of this situation! Well, he might as well get his question answered.

"About what I wanted to ask you..." 

"Yes?" the gypsy said brightly. Now, if only she could maneuver so that they were near the center of the bed. The elders of the camp will have to approve of Ranma once she tells them that she was in bed with him. Not that she needed their approval, of course. Just like she didn't need Ranma's approval. He was still a boy...he'll learn to appreciate her and what she did to get him after they got married and he grew up. At that, Shan Pu almost sighed. 

"I wanted to ask you about Akane and why she's been acting so moody lately," the Prince questioned. 

"Oh, Ne-ne always act moody," Shampoo said absently, more interested in Ranma's shirt then the conversation.

"Yes, but she's been extra moody lately," the owner of the room said earnestly. "She's never been so...temperamental before. She keeps snapping at me and I want to know why...not that I care of course. Why should I care what that tomboy thinks? It's just I'd like to know that's all. Yeah. That's it...I'm just curious."

Ranma watched as Shan Pu stopped whatever she was doing to his shirt and look at him. She sat up straighter and her shiny, child-like eyes seemed to cloud over. The gypsy looked as though she was trying to work out a hard puzzle in her mind as she looked down at Ranma. 

Whatever, the violet gypsy was thinking, Ranma didn't find out that day because the door burst open and another certain gypsy entered.

"Shan! Nyia told me you were in here. You would not believe who just...came," Akane said the last word very softly. She had burst into the room and ran straight to where she saw Shampoo was...not thinking about the situation or the circumstances until she saw Ranma under her best friend on the bed.

She gulped.

All three of them stared at each other.

Ranma turned deer-caught-in-rush-hour-traffic eyes towards Akane.

Shampoo's eyes were guarded.

Akane looked first from her friend...then down to the Prince...then up at her friend again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I-I'll tell you late, Shan."

With that, Akane turned around and walked very quickly out the door.

With a cross between a sigh and a groan, Shampoo got off of Ranma and with a hard mouth...ran after her friend.

The Prince slammed his head down on his cushy bed. He wasn't going to run after them. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Someone was always running after someone...and someone was always leaving. Well, he had enough. He was tired of running after people. 

Sometime in the later future...

...Ranma would wish he had chased after Akane.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: Geez, I'm repetitive. Don't anybody knock anymore? *sigh* Well, this was going to be a present for Christmas for you guys but I got held up. Hope ya still enjoyed it...even if it is a little late.


	9. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant

Chapter 8, Decisions Decisions

Author's Notes: I'm surprised I managed to get this out. E-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com with comments or criticism. 

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gypsy made her way quickly down the open hallways, her luscious, purple hair swinging. She finally caught sight of Akane's fast moving body after she rounded the fifth corner. Stopping for a moment to catch a breath, she stared at Akane's retreating back with annoyance. 

Finally she called out, "Ne-ne wait!" and ran t o catch up with the other girl. 

Akane hesitated and then stopped. Shan Pu knew her friend had considered continuing walking and pretending she hadn't heard anything. Shan Pu was glad she had not. 

When she got closer to Akane, the purple-haired gypsy placed a hand on the other's arm.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her eyes searching Akane's face. Akane's eyes darted around before finally landing on her friend.

"Nothing, Shan. Why would you say that?" she answered the question with one of her own. Her face seemed slightly panicked. A needle slowly dug it's way to the center of Shan's heart.

"You left so quickly, Ne," Shan answered.

"I...I just wanted to leave you and Ra-the Prince alone, Shan."

Shan Pu dropped her arm and backed up slightly from the closest sister she ever knew. She felt she didn't know her anymore. What was wrong?

"Ne-ne..." she said softly. Her voice was so bewildered, her face so confused that one could have mistaken her for a child who just learned about pain. She didn't understand and what she did understand, she didn't like.

How could Akane lie to her sister?

"I don't know what's happening, Shan," she said truthfully before trying to explain. "Something's happening to me. It has to do with Ranma. I don't understand it, Shan. I'm sorry..."

Shan's eyes shadowed before a dark light fell over them. She finally understood and she was sad.

Finally, she reached out and took Akane's hand.

"It's okay, Ne-ne. Now, you have to listen to me and listen very carefully. What I am about to ask you will decide everything. Do you want Ranma? If you do..." here Shan Pu took a deep breath. "...if you do, I will move aside. I will stop pursuing him. If not, I want you to promise me that you won't ever be with him."

In those few words, Shan Pu offered up the rest of her life to her gypsy sister.

In those few words, Shan Pu handed over her happiness.

It was all right though.

She would have done this for no one else.

No one but Akane.

Now, don't think Akane didn't know this either. She knew how much was at stake for Shan Pu and for herself and so she took great thought in thinking it over.

She knew she had feelings for Ranma. That much was obvious right now and she wasn't going to deny them, but how deep were these feelings? Did she want him? Yes, yes she did. That much was clear also. Now, that those things were clear, the gypsy started to think of the consequences.

Ranma was a Prince. If she married him (not saying he would want to or that his parents would allow it), then she would have to leave her tribe and live with him. She had been training him to be a gypsy but was that enough? He was the heir of a kingdom and even if he did leave it for her...how much would she be disappointed in him? No, she would have to leave her caravan and tribe.

Then there was Shan Pu. She knew Shan loved Ranma very much and not just his wealth of power either. She truly cared for him. Shan was her best friend, her sister, second to no one. Akane turned to look at her friend.

That was when it happened.

Maybe if Ranma had been there and she had actually saw him, she would have remembered why she felt the way she did. Maybe if he had been there, she would have been able to compare the two worlds of gypsy and royalty better. Maybe if he had... 

...but he _hadn't _chased after her. He either didn't know or didn't care.

Shan had though.

That was the deciding vote.

Seeing Shan stand there, her face was so proud, generous and true, Akane knew. She could never be a Princess. She was a gypsy.

"I don't want him Shan. I promise you that I will never have him," she said slowly and with determination. Shan Pu's frown disappeared and a smile took it's place. The smile was warm and comforting. The smile said that even if Akane had chosen the other path, Shan would have still been there for her. The smile told Akane she had made the right choice.

"Now, what did say about grandmother being here?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma was walking down the castle corridors while he flicked a stick up and down absentmindedly. The birds chirped and he grinned to himself. Suddenly, he heard some voice and recognizing one as belonging to the tomboy, followed it. He stopped outside the door when he heard his own name said. He was standing in front of the servants quarters.

"...and you, Shan! Did you think you could fool your own grandmother? I your every movement and the reason behind it. Why else would you ask to get assigned to the Terian castle if not to try and bed the Prince Ranma?" Cologne told her grandmother and the three kids in the room fidgeted nervously and laughed. Ranma, of course, could not see them nor could he understand the words that Cologne spoke.

Slightly agitated, he straightened up and opened the door.

"Hello everyone," he said haughtily. In the room around the square table sat Shampoo, Mousse, Ryoga, Akane and some old wrinkled woman. The old woman jumped from her chair onto a stick and hopped over until she was only a few inches away from his face. Her beady, black eyes scrutinizing him. The Prince stared back at her with a steady, confidant gaze.

The old crone finally smiled and gave a bark of laughter.

"You've got a good one, Shan Pu," she directed to her grandchild. The girl smiled proudly.

"Thank you, grandmother," she said. Akane and Mousse fidgeted slightly but said nothing. It was not their place to speak or object with hiba-chan's statements. 

Angry, Ranma protested, "Hey! I'm still in the room."

"Of course you are," the old woman said condescendingly. Then, her eyes slowly traced his form up and down.

"A Martial Artist are you?" she asked him,, not really asking him.

The Prince was starting to get cocky now. 

He inched his head up and challenged, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Don't be rude to your elders, boy!" the woman said before the stick she was on hit the boy in the head. Shocked and slightly angry, the boy moved his hand to attack the old woman, but before he even came close, more blows came toward him. Akane stood up.

"You idiot," she exclaimed. "Hiba-chan's over three centuries old. You can't defeat her."

Jumping up, Ranma yelled, "Shut up, you tomboy! I-"

Suddenly, a cackle of laughter filled the room and all eyes turned to the very old gypsy woman. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Hiba-chan? What matter?" Shan Pu asked innocently.

The old woman just muttered to herself, "I should have known. I should have known. Fate!"

The four people in the room who did understand what Cologne was saying couldn't make any sense of it. They weren't that surprised either. Cologne was always saying crazy things and if they hadn't respected or known her so well, they would have called her senile.

Ranma, however, neither respected nor knew her.

"Senile old crone," he stated.

That just caused another burst of laughter from the woman.

Really annoyed now, Ranma turned around to face t he others.

"Why's she here anyway?" he asked them. They obviously didn't know because they turned to Cologne for an answer.

"I'm here to bring tell these mischievous little gypsies that their term here (actually, it's just Ne-ne's and Shan Pu's term, Ryo and Tsu-tsu should not even be here) is almost over and they can come home whenever hey wish. In fact, we miss them," she told the gypsies. Ryoga and Mu Tsu both gave huge grins.

"You hear that Ne-ne?" Ryoga said as he approached a stricken Akane. "You can go home!"

Akane glanced sligbtly at the confused and hurt look on Ranma's face a second before turning away.

"Yeah," she said, trying to smile. "I won't have to be here anymore."

Seeing Ryo's success, Mu Tsu smiled and started for Shan Pu but was stopped by a cold look from so said girl. 

"Don't think about it, Mousse," she grumbled. "Shan stay here. Stay here with Ranma." Here face was resolute and nobody argued with her.

Ranma, who had been staring at Akane with the most wounded of expressions finally perked up.

"Fine, I don't want any of you here anyway," he said, trying to sound indifferent. Nobody missed the anger and hurt behind his words but Akane. She just looked at him with shock before standing straighter.

"Stupid jerk!" she screamed before knocking him over with a mallet and stomping out of the room.

"You deserved it," Ryoga snorted in disgust as he stepped over the Prince's twitching form and followed Akane.

Cologne laughed some more and thought, _Fate. It always ends up the way it should._

She hoped her granddaughter wouldn't get hurt too badly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gypsy sat on the little hill as she viciously pulled fields and fields of grass. Her dark blue hair blew slightly along with the wind. She didn't fully understand why she was so filled with dark emotions. She didn't really care. All she knew was to act on her feelings as she had been taught since a child. The poor grass on that hill was the unfortunate victim this time.

Suddenly, she heard delicate footsteps behind her and so stopped her activities.

"Akane?" the soft voice of the Queen inquired. Shielding her eyes from the sun, Akane looked at the beautiful woman before her.

"Kasumi?" she asked innocently, her anger strangely disappeared at the sight of the other girl. It was as though the Queen was so serene and peaceful, it exuded from her and went to others.

Kasumi gestured to the place next to Akane.

She asked, "May I sit down?"

Akane nodded.

Kasumi sat down gracefully and moved the dress around her. The royal garment was made for such conditions. Queens usually didn't sit on grassy hillsides with their servants.

"Are you all right?" the Queen questioned the servant.

"I'm fine, Kasumi," the servant answered.

They sat silently for awhile.

"I don't know what to do, Kasumi," Akane finally said. "Hiba-chan's here and I know I need to go back and I want to, it's not that I don't want to, it's just...you had asked me to come to Jyuan with you. You wanted me to see it and a part of me wants to see it too. I don't want to cause any trouble for anyone but I want to go to Jyuan."

All this time, Kasumi satyed respectfully quiet but at it's end, she said, "You're a gypsy, Akane. No matter what you find out about yourself or your past, you can never _not_ be a gypsy. What I'm saying is...you shouldn't try for anything else at this moment. Don't take anything into account. Don't think about Ranma," here she had to stop for a second because Akane was about to protest, "No, let me finish. Don't think about Ranma and don't think about Shampoo and don't think about me. Think about yourself. After all, this trip is for you. It would have no purpose if you did not act for yourself."

The blue-haired girl could only have her mouth hanging slightly open. She stared at the Queen for awhile before turning back to the hillside. For herself. Wasn't that what gypsies did after all? Act on instinct and feeling?

"I'll tell hiba-chan," she said as she stood up. She started to leave before remembering and turning around.

"Thank you, Kasumi," she said and raced off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane sat waiting for hiba-chan in the servants' room. She had sent Shan to get the old woman and now she waited. The door burst open and the two gypsies entered and closed it behind them.

"Here hiba-chan, Ne," Shan Pu said and started to leave.

"No, you stay too, Shan," Akane said. "You might want to hear this."

Shrugging, the purple-haired gypsy sat down.

Akane looked at the two before heaving a big breath. She told them.

"I decided to go with the Queen Kasumi to Jyuan. This isn't about," here she turned to Shan as this part was meant for her especially, "this isn't about Ranma. It's about me. It's calling to me and I have to go. You two understand." 

Cologne just smiled and nodded. Of course she understood. She had been expecting it even. Shan grinned widely too.

"Hiya! Now Ne-ne don't leave Shan!" she cried.

Ryoga wasn't as understanding.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What!" 

Akane winced. This was not going well. Ryoga was not taking this as well as hiba-chan and Shan did yesterday.

"Ryo, you know we do things because we _feel_ it's right. Well, I _feel_ this is right, despite what logic or anyone else may be telling me. I thought you of all people would understand me," she begged. She was actually a little hurt. Why didn't he understand?

"But Ranma will-"

"This has nothing to do with Ranma! Sheesh!" Akane threw her arms up into the air and started to pace. In those few words, Ryoga had put the match next to the gas tank.

It was too late.

The girl was on a rant now and unstoppable.

"_Why_ does _everything_ has to do with _Ranma_?" she screeched. "Everybody thinks my whole world revolves around him or you or Shan or _somebody_! Maybe...just maybe...I matter to myself too. Maybe, just maybe, I'm doing this for myself and nobody else. Do you think that's possible? Do you? Ryo..."

Ryoga looked as though she had thrown him against a wall and beat the living daylights out of him.

"I-I-I didn't mean that, Ne-ne," he stammered. Why did she just blow up like that.

Akane's face scrunched up and suddenly shame overwhelmed her. She did overreact. It wasn't Ryo's fault. He just cared for her. Should he get this awful treatment just because she cared? Why had she been so horrible lately? Tears instantly sprung to her eyes. Ryoga saw her look and his features instantly softened in understanding. He went over and put his arms around her.

"It's okay, Ne," he whispered into her dark hair. "It's okay."

Akane started to cry.

Wow...Ranma never seems to be at the right place at the right time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day, Akane waited on the hill where she was supposed to be training with Ranma. The Prince had not shown up yet and she was starting to think he wouldn't show, when a pig-tailed head started to go over the edge of the hill. 

With a plain expression, Akane said, "I was beginning to think you decided not to train anymore."

"Hey, I'm not a quitter, alright?" he stated.

"That's obvious. Come on, let's just do some practice fighting to warm up," the girl said and got into a stance. Ranma did also and they launched themselves at each other. 

"So, you're going back, huh?" Ranma asked casually as a foot flew past him.

"Depends if I ever been there before," was Akane's answer.

"What are you talking about?"

"Jyuan. I can't possibly go back if I've never been there."

"What?" Ranma stopped and blocked Akane's kick. The practice fight was over. "You're going to Jyuan?"

"Yeah, with Kasumi. Didn't you know?" she was staring at Ranma odd now but he barely heard her. She wasn't going back to the gypsies. She was going to Jyuan...Jyuan...and if she really _was_ the Princess...

A goofy grin spread across Ranma's face

."Idiot!" Akane yelled as she smacked him on the head. "Are you going to train or what?"

Of course he was, but the thought of becoming a gypsy wasn't so important anymore. Akane was going to Jyuan and...suddenly he was *sure*, *positive*, she was the Princess. His fiancee...the Princess...

He never once thought about whether Akane actually _wanted_ to be one or not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: The last chapter to SP, BD is done but I still need to work on the one before it. It's been a long time...has it! *sigh* Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (even if it was a little short). 


	10. The Royal Servant

The Royal Servant

Chapter 9, Tickets and Trips

A/N: Blah! The evilness has arrived. 

Disclaimers: Rumiko Takahashi. Period.

***

The heat was unbearable and Akane was ready to murder anyone who gave her the slightest provocation. The open diner by the side of the road hardly provided enough shade for everyone traveling on the journey. Somewhere there was someone laughing joyfully as they ran into a cool sparking lake. Akane just knew this and a deep, deep hatred for this person was born within her.

"Aw, can't the poor little prince handle a little heat?" a very familiar voice taunted.

Akane closed her eyes and willed herself to remain in her seat.

"Shut up! Why are you here anyway? Don't you have some getting lost to do?" another voice shot in reply.

_Breathe in, breathe out_, the gypsy commanded herself.

"Well, maybe you should have brought along a servant with a big leaf to fan you with!"

"Well, maybe you should stop being such a -"

"Enough!"

Queen Nabiki looked up with lazy eyes, as did everyone else in their small party who had been sitting in the small, wooden chairs, to stare at the girl who had a fuse the size of a thumbnail. Shampoo just shook her head elegantly before gazing on the scene with wide eyes.

Akane stomped over to where the two sat bickering and with strong hands pulled them both up.

"If you're both going to act like _children_," she stressed, "then maybe you both need a time out."

With that bold and daring declaration that, of course, was obvious to no one but Akane, the blue-haired gypsy dragged both boys to where the carriages were waiting.

Once they reached the carriages, all three were treated to the sight of a king caught in an excited discussion with the coachmen.

"Yes, yes," the king exclaimed with a slight fog to his glasses. "That's the beauty of it. You don't know when it's going to work, you see. It's completely unexpected and works on the most random people and there's no way of determining whom it will work on."

The coachman looked doubtful.

"But that's also its downfall. You're not listening. Yes, this potion would be very powerful if it worked. I'm not denying that. I'm just saying that it doesn't work-

"-all the time! We're still working on that-" 

King Tendo would have continued on for some time if Ryoga hadn't snuck in a hard punch behind Akane's back and had Ranma jumping back with a loud, "Hey!"

Both the coachman and the King politely greeted the three people that had intruded upon their rather engrossing conversation.

King Tendo looked kindly at them and inquired, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Akane pasted on a smile, gave a quick curtsy and told him, "No, your majesty. I was just going to have a quick discussion with these two _boys_."

("Cheeky, isn't she?" somebody who was royal and by the name of Ranma muttered before receiving an elbow in his rib.)

"Of course, my dear. Of course," King Tendo nodded several times before asking the coachman, "Kyn, do you want to continue our little - ahem - debate elsewhere?"

"That would be excellent, sir," the coachman, Kyn, replied before hopping off the front of the carriage and walking off with the slightly absentminded king of Jyuan.

The gypsy girl faced the two boys, crossed her arms and glared at them.

"What?" Ranma shot out defiantly.

"It's _hot_," Akane drawled out as though that was the most explanatory answer possible.

"What?" came the repetitive statement from the prince who wasn't that quick on the uptake.

("Stupid, isn't he?" somebody who was not royal and went by the name of Ryo stated loudly before receiving a smack on the head.)

"We only have a while to go before the castle. You two can kill each other in the nice, roomy, _cool_ building, okay? Now, is not the time-"

Luckily for them (well, for Ryoga), Akane could not continue on with her lecture because at that moment, another young gypsy woman decided to show up with bounciness exuding. Shampoo landed by Ranma's side and clamped beautiful arms around his waist.

"Why you yelling at my poor Ranma, Ne? He just-"

Whatever Shampoo planned to say was cut off by a rather high-pitched, unmanly shout of, "Shan, my darling! Where are you?"

Shampoo cringed, Akane smirked, and everyone was just a little bit happier when the King returned with the coachman and the journey resumed.

***

The sight of threatening gray clouds over a building that stood against a dark sky was certainly intimidating. The band of travelers all looked upon the castle with some form of trepidation and hesitation. A short and stout servant quickly ran out with a hand over their head to fruitlessly prevent from becoming soaked by the pouring rain.

"Your majesties!" the servant cried as he stood quivering before the mass of people under the umbrellas. "We didn't expect you to arrive so early."

"We were due to arrive three days ago," Nabiki informed the servant coldly which earned her a glare from the three of the young gypsies present. Mousse was too busy stumbling through the mud in search of his darling to become offended.

" Condescending woman, " mumbled Shampoo spitefully. Ne and Ryo nodded in agreement.

If Nabiki had noticed anything, she chose to ignore it.

Addressing the servant, she said regally, "Tell them to open the gates. If Queen Kasumi gets sick and anything happens to the heir, it will be your head on a plate."

"Yes, your majesty," the man cried before hurrying back inside.

As they crossed the bridge and entered the vine-covered castle, Akane whispered almost bitingly to Ranma, "Yeah, all of you nobles and royals don't look down on anybody at all."

"What's your problem?" Ranma shot back. "Nabiki's mean to everybody. Even her own husband."

The gypsy just made a disbelieving sound and turned away.

The prince turned helplessly to the duchess on his other side.

_How do you win with them?_ his face questioned her.

Ukyo gazed silently at the back of a certain bandanna-clad head before shrugging.

_You don't_, her expression answered.

***

" Well, this is certainly nicer than waking up in the servant's quarters, " Shampoo exclaimed as she sat up in the large satin bed and stretched. " I can certainly get used to this. "

From her place at the end of the bed, Akane rolled her eyes. It was early and without any duties ("Oh, no, you can't work! You're our guests!" Kasumi had cried) to do, she had decided to hurry to Shan's room and wake her up. Now though, she began to think it would have been better if she hadn't. The large room was very warm despite the cold rain the night before and traces of a dead fire laid simmering in the giant fireplace. The clear windows allowed sheets of sun, like blankets, to cover the room.

Akane looked at her friend. Even after just being woken up by a thump to the head, Shan still looked beautiful and somewhat regal with her crown-like purple hair behind her. Shan would make a great princess, Akane briefly thought.

" Unless you bag your prince, I suggest you don't get used to it. And don't let grandmother hear you say that either. She'll go into her speech about independence from material things, " the blue-haired gypsy commented wryly.

Shampoo wrinkled her nose cutely at the thought of a lecture before a bright smile dawned upon her face.

" Ne! " she yelled. " Why don't you go down to the kitchen and get me some breakfast? That way, I can be full and ready to greet my Ranma. "

Akane grumbled some indiscernible words, but she still lumbered out of the room to make her way towards the kitchen.

" Thanks, Ne! " she heard Shan call out after her.

When she arrived at the kitchen door, however, the sound of conversation caught her curiosity. Now, Akane prided herself on being able to stay out of other people's business (no matter what Ryo and Shan said about her), but it was still early and she was bored. She also knew that the servants in this castle were sore at her and the others because of their suddenly elevated (temporary, she had to mentally insert) status. They would never include her in the conversation, anyhow. That's how Akane found herself standing behind the wall, beside the wall, eavesdropping.

"He's crazy, that one!" an old, scratchy voice shrieked out and Akane heard the obvious sound of something banging against a table.

"Hush, Margaret!" another female voice said. "You'll wake them."

"Margaret's right, Harlt," males voice timbered. "The man's off his rocker. This country needs a better ruler than a loon and his doormat of a wife-"

"Now, don't you talk about the Queen, Tam," the woman, Harlt, commanded (and Akane could almost picture her waving a ladle with threatening purpose). "She's a sweet girl, but she just doesn't have the heart to rule Jyuan anymore. We all know that. After what happened to her feather and then her sister, well, who _could_ command a country?"

"That other girl - what's her name - did. She went off, landed herself a fortune with a kingdom to match. _She_ rules with an iron fist, that one," Margaret added.

"Yes," the man said and Akane noted the sound of quick footsteps across the floor. She heard frustration in them.

Tam continued, "But she has her own country to run. She can't be bothered with Jyuan. Now, we're stuck with this King and Queen who travel all the time and can't be bothered with state affairs. We'll have to wait another two decades for another heir."

"It's too bad about that-" Margaret began, but whatever she was about the say, it was not good conversation material, because Harlt interrupted her.

"What did the King want anyway, Maragaret?" she asked, an obvious change of subject."

"Oh, the ingredients to some concoction he and Yurling are working on. Something about hereditary and orphans and children born out of wed-"

"Hey, Akane, whatcha' doin' outside the kitchen for? I've been lookin' everywhere for ya!"

The conversation inside the kitchen ended abruptly and when Harlt pushed open the kitchen door, she was greeted with the sheepish face of a certain young gypsy.

"Hello, Harlt," Akane murmured with what she hoped was an innocent and winning smile. The woman just looked coldly at her.

"I was just passing by and yeah, just passing by and not listening and-"

"isn't she funny, Harlt?" Ranma joked as he grabbed Akane's arm.

"Hilarious, your majesty" Harlt answered.

"I'll just move her along. Come on now, Akane," the prince said. He dragged a nearly immobile girl towards the south doors.

He was dragging her towards the woods.

*** 

"There!" said Ranma triumphantly when they reached the spot he wanted. He turned to the gypsy beside him gleefully, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. He gestured to the spot.

"Well?" he queried, his full attention on her.

Akane looked warily at him before turning to stare doubtfully at the clump of dirt nestled between the large tree roots.

"What?" she demanded. "Why'd you drag me here?"

Disappointed, but undaunted, the prince called, "Come on. Sit down."

Akane warned in a low voice, "This better not be one of your tricks, Ranma," as she did as he asked. She sat down in the squishy mud, moved her bottom around a bit to get comfortable, and settled her eyes upon him again with an expectant gaze.

"You don't feel anything?" Ranma questioned her desperately.

Akane narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"No. Am I supposed to feel something?" answered the gypsy.

"Not even a tinge of a memory? Nighttime, a moon, a prince beside-"

Growling furiously, Akane pushed herself up and past the all to dense boy.

"Jerk!" she shouted.

"What!" Ranma yelled after her.

The girl spun around with fast arms and flaring eyes. 

"You jerk!" she screamed again, just to make sure he didn't forget. "Trying to reenact the precious little moments you and your little fiancee princess used to have! Sicko! I'm not your stupid princess!"

"You don't know that," countered Ranma, approaching her and not bothering to deny anything even though her accusations were way off base. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To find out if you are my -" Ranma stopped and blushed. 

"If you are the princess," he finished.

After fumbling for awhile to say something smart in reply to that, Akane decided upon another "Jerk!" and stalked angrily out.

***

Huffing and torching so that she looked very much akin to a female dragon with a thorn in her side, Akane stomped her way down the long, second story hallway. If she were in any other condition, she would have jeered at forced elegance of the castle - the work of four people trying to make a habitat of animals livable for royalty. Gold-framed portraits covered the cracks in the walls and the railing was scrubbed mercilessly before being recklessly painted over. It was all a very desperate sight to behold.

However, as fortune would have it, Akane did not notice these things. She was lost in hazy cloud of anger that had fogged up her mind. How dare he! He didn't understand her at all! Not that he would even _try_, that jerk. How dare he _presume_ - to even think that she - to have the nerve to assume -

So wrapped up in her anger that the gypsy could barely finish a thought, much less note the purple form coming towards her. Shampoo landed with an easy bounce in front of her accepted sister and cocked her head.

" Where's my breakfast, Ne-ne? " demanded the purple gypsy without any sign of reproach.

"Huh?" 

The sound came out with all the intelligence Akane could mutter on a last second basis as she surfaced from her thoughts.

Shampoo laughed and moved to grab Akane's arm. She started walking the other girl slowly beside the railing, down the hall.

" Did you drop by to see Ryo? " she asked slyly.

" Huh? No. Why would I go see Ryo? " the other girl returned in bewilderment. What was Shan talking about? 

Shampoo rolled her eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh before saying, " Anyway, I need your help, Ne-ne. "

" On what? " 

The gypsy continued with eyes averted, " Seeing as how I'm going to be Queen one day, I believe I need to touch up on a few areas. As you know, my speech, outside of our language, isn't that great - "

" Oh ho! " Akane exclaimed, extracting her arm and forgetting all about the prince. " If only you have practiced when grandmother told you to, like Ryo and I did, you wouldn't be in this mess. "

Shampoo crossed her arms and gave a petulant scowl.

" Will you help or not? she demanded pointedly.

" Of course. What are sisters for? "

" Good. Now, you have to keep in mind to speak to me only in the worldly language, no matter how difficult it might be and don't hesitate to correct me, either. I certainly need all the - "

"Ah, Shampoo! Akane!" a voice yelled from the first floor. The two girls leaned over the railing that surrounded the large hold in the center of the floor. King Tendo stood there with a piece of paper in his hand and a large grin on his face.

"Just the two girls I wanted to see," he said.

"What is it, your majesty?" Akane yelled down to him.

"Now, now, Akane," he reprimanded. "Don't call me that. Dr. Tofu would be fine. I was wondering if you two girls could do me a favor by doing a bit of shopping for me. I would do it myself, but I'm quite busy and I would ask the servants to do it, but they seem to have some crazy idea that I'm not quite right in the head and I don't want to feed it or anything."

"We'll do it," Akane jumped in before he could go on.

" We'll? " Shampoo hissed by her side. 

" Build up points with the friend of the family, " Akane hissed back.

"Yes, me and Ne do shopping for you," Shampoo shouted down to the first floor.

If it was possibly, Dr. Tofu's smile got even brighter.

"Great! I'll be up with the list right now," he told them and disappeared from sight.

Shampoo turned to face Akane.

"Ryo," she said simply and Akane understood.

"He can carry the stuff."

***

"Cabbages! Five tins a head! You know you want your cabbages!"

Akane always loved the marketplace. She loved the hustle, the bustle, and the sight of people who didn't care about manners or the general rule that said you had to restrain yourself in public.

"So, what's on the list?" she asked Shan, who had said list in her hands. Shan's forehead was creased with perplexity.

"Moonshod, Turnbore, Asdiful - "

"Isn't Asdiful the stuff you put in blood - "

"- to make stop bleeding," Shan finished for him. Ryoga, who had been up and training by the rime to gypsy girls pounced on him, was more alert than usual.

"What does the king want with that?" he questioned of his companions curiously.

Shampoo appeared thoughtful, but Akane just shrugged, grabbed an apple and threw a coin into the vendor's hand.

"Why does it matter?" she questioned back. "We get the stuff, we bring it back, we're done. Hey, is that tea fruit? I love those!"

She hurried over to the open store with the large quantities of fruit in front. Picking up an orange-brown fruit shaped like a box, Akane numbered the joys in her life. She wondered briefly how fruit could hold such a high position.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" a boy about her age walked over in an apron.

"No, but you can sell me something that can. How much for - "

"That money for stuff on list, Ne-ne! Not for you," Shampoo yelled as she ran towards the girl with the fruit in her hand.

"Shut up, Shan," Akane yelled back, not taking her eyes from the fruit.

"Ne-ne?" the boy in the apron asked, incredulous.

"Yeah?" Akane murmured.

Suddenly, she found herself wrapped by tight, unfamiliar arms and hauled off the ground for a good five seconds. Not one to be taken advantage of, Akane kneed the guy in the chest before hopping on the ground. The guy doubled over slightly and groaned, but didn't collapse (which forced Akane to feel an inkling of respect).

"What's the matter?" inquired Ryoga as he and Shampoo came up beside Akane.

"This weird guy -" Akane began when an out of breath voice interjected with, " - fiance."

"What?" all three gypsies cried.

With much effort, the boy straightened himself up and tried to casually shake the brown hair from his forehead. 

"You grow up, but that temper doesn't change, does it?" he smirked at Akane who felt that he shouldn't be smirking with what he just did. She frowned at him disapprovingly to get this point across. 

"Can't even remember me, you r own fiance. Shame on you. Tatsuo? Does that ring a -"

"Tatsuo!" Akane shrieked, which earned her quite a few looks, as she jumped to hug the boy around the neck.

"Killer grip too," Tatsuo hacked out before Akane let him go. He greeted the other two.

"Good to see you, Shan," he said.

"Good to see you too, Tatsuo," she struggled to get out and enunciate perfectly.

"Ryo," Tatsuo said shortly.

"Jerk who isn't really Ne's fiance," Ryoga answered in greeting with an accompanied dark look so that Tatsuo would make no mistake that he hated his guts.

"Let it go, Ryo," Tatsuo chuckled. "I'm not going to steal your precious Ne away. I'm married anyway."

"Really? And you couldn't even tell me?" Akane said with a feigned hurt expression.

"Well, I haven't seen you since I was eight so I think it would have been difficult to tell you," said Tatsuo. He quickly scanned the shop.

"Listen, I can close down now. You guys don't mind if I steal Ne for a few moments, do you? There's something I want to show her."

"Shampoo don't mind," Shan said just as Ryoga answered with a clipped, "We mind."

"Here," Akane said as she stuffed the money pouch and list into Shampoo's hand. "Can you do the shopping for me? I'll meet you back at the castle."

"No problem," Shampoo called cheerfully before Ryoga could protest. "Have fun, Ne-ne!"

"I will."

"Hey, what about me? Don't I have a say in -"

"Come on, Ryo. We need to shop now."

What can you do if you're a poor boy with two girls working against you? As Ryoga found out - nothing.

***

"Now, you promise this is between us?" 

Tatsuo asked this as the two made their way down the cellar stairs. Akane looked at the worms crawling in and out of the walls a few inches to her left and gulped. He had pulled her into a pub of some sort, led her behind the counter and straight into what she had believed to be a wall. She had wanted to pull back as they walked down their first flight of stairs, but that would mean she was chickening out. If Akane was anything, she wasn't a chicken.

"Of course," she tried to say calmly, but it only came out a squeak.

Tatsuo smiled approvingly at her.

"I knew I could trust you. I would have written to you and told you about this sooner, but you traveled so much. You gave me the idea for this, you know."

"I did?" Akane squeaked as she watched the candle's flame flicker obnoxiously. Stupid, untrustworthy candle.

"Yeah," Tatsuo said as his eyes misted slightly, "you said when we were eight and ran away from that stupid house belonging to that old lady that smelled like burnt plastic. I remember, you said, 'If the people who watch us can't do it right, than it's only right that we watch ourselves.' Do you remember that, Ne? You probably don't, but I couldn't forget it. You were my hero."

"I was?" Akane said doubtfully, but more reassured now. She was his hero. Of course she was.

"Yeah," Tatsuo said as he pushed open a wooden door stuck between the dirt. He allowed Akane to enter and she did so only to find, in amazement, a large, clean room with wood walls. There were two tables in the center and large posters of paper laid all over. The three people in the room shot their heads up to glare at Akane.

"It's okay, guys, she's one of us. She's the one I've been telling you about," Tatsuo reassured them.

One of the more burly men eyed Akane doubtfully.

"What if she rats us out?" he grumbled.

Tatsuo blew a disbelieving breath as he closed the doors.

"Right, Ne giving us up. She hates royalty. She'd rather be buried alive then help them," he told the others. Akane though he gave a rather bad analogy seeing as how they were both alive and both very much underground.

"Tatsuo, what's going on?" 

He smiled at her and opened his arms.

"A revolution, Ne-ne. That pathetic Queen and crazy King have ruled their royal thumb over us long enough. The people are taking back the land of Jyuan. We are going to make Jyuan better, stronger."

As he rambled, Akane could see the light of the candle reflecting from his eyes. His eyes were hard and desperate with a strange kind of wanting. Akane had seen that before. She had seen it in the nobles of her youth. It was the want of power.

He turned his hungry attention on her.

"All because of you. Won't you help us?"

Akane backed up. She couldn't answer.

"Won't you help us?" he questioned again, louder this time.

The word was trapped in Akane's throat like a baby bird caught in the thorns.

"Which side are you on, Ne-ne?"

***

"Where's Akane?" Ukyo tried to instill lazily into the conversation.

Ranma was bent over the pieces on the game board. He moved a piece.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "Probably off being a stupid tomboy."

Ukyo moved a piece.

"Did you guys get into a fight?"

Ranma moved a piece.

"Yeah."

Ukyo moved a piece.

"Well, aren't you worried?"

Ranma moved a piece.

"About what? She'll come around."

The game ended and Ranma lost.

***


End file.
